Christopher Harkins, one of Scotland’s most notorious romance fraudsters, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in July 2024.
However, his predatory behaviour went unchecked for over a decade, despite nine separate women reporting him to Police Scotland between 2012 and 2019.
Harkins targeted successful, career-driven women through dating platforms like Tinder, using false identities and elaborate scams to steal over £214,000 from his victims.
His offences included financial fraud, intimate image exploitation, threats, and even sexual assault. Shockingly, when women initially came forward, many felt their complaints were dismissed as “civil matters” by the authorities.
According to reports, the 38-year-old presented himself on dating profiles as a jet-setting, business-owning, “gym rat”, but in reality he was one of Scotland’s most prolific and predatory romance fraudsters.
Harkins’ scams included pretending to book romantic holidays, asking for money claiming his bank account was temporarily frozen or telling women he was investing their savings for them.
In other cases he pressured women to take out loans of up to £12,000 to give to him and also used their identities to take out loans himself.
One woman was forced into bankruptcy while others spent years paying off debts, suffering mental health issues as a result.
Another victim, Lisa, who came forward after transferring £3,247 for a non-existent holiday, shared her frustration:
“The sheer number of people that came forward, I think it’s clear that there were opportunities to investigate. There must have been a way that he could have been stopped before he was.”
However, none of the reports resulted in criminal charges at the time and his victims said their original complaints were dismissed as “civil matters”.
Police Scotland told the BBC there were no reports of physical or sexual abuse at that time.
They said they were “mainly around the financial situation” and were each treated in isolation.
And it wasn’t until an article published by journalist Catriona Stewart in Glasgow’s Evening Times newspaper in 2019 brought attention to Harkins’ pattern of deceit that further women came forward, leading to a renewed investigation and his eventual conviction.
“Within a few hours of the article going live I had five women who had been in touch with Christopher Harkins phone me,” Ms. Stewart said.
“It very quickly became apparent to me that this man had been operating for at least a decade, that his alleged crimes were far more than financial. And that this was an individual who was potentially very dangerous.”
After the newspaper article was published, police revisited the historical reports.
Dr Jenn Glinski from Scottish Women’s Aid stressed the importance of recognising financial abuse early:
“Early reports of financial abuse give authorities a chance to intervene before behaviour escalates to physical or sexual abuse.”
Another victim, Naomi, who was unaware of Harkins’ previous crimes, recalled her experience:
“If I had known, I wouldn’t have been involved. It wouldn’t have happened. I felt absolutely violated when he sent me an image from a video he had taken of me.”
A third victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, said:
“I was too ashamed to tell anyone, even my family. I didn’t know how to explain what had happened. It took me years to finally confront the reality of what he had done.”
The case highlights significant gaps in the investigation of financial abuse and the failure to recognise early signs of more serious criminal behaviour. As a result, many victims suffered prolonged emotional and financial trauma.
Harkins’ story is a reminder of the dangers of online dating and the importance of trusting your instincts.
As Lisa now reflects:
“I’ve felt for the last five years that I haven’t been able to move on. It’s a story I’m now proud to tell, rather than ashamed to tell.”
If you or someone you know is affected by financial abuse or romance fraud, support is available. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
Further reading
News and knowledge – Oakwood Scotland Solicitors
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