A man who duped women he met on dating platforms by posing as an intelligence officer, an American financier and a BBC producer has been sentenced over a £50,000 romance fraud, a court heard.
Rodney Roberts, 40, used the alias Paul Smith while cultivating relationships with three women between 2021 and 2024, Cardiff Crown Court was told. He targeted victims via social media and dating sites, persuading them to hand over money for bogus investments.
The first victim met Roberts in February 2021. He initially claimed to be from California and working as a lawyer and financier, later insisting that role was a cover for secret intelligence work. Roberts told her he could not control his finances because of his covert role and asked for loans.
He urged that woman to sell her home so she could invest larger sums, set up a cryptocurrency account in her name without her knowledge, and encouraged further payments into a fictitious scheme.
A second relationship began in October 2022. That woman was similarly convinced to provide cash for an alleged investment after being shown fabricated screenshots suggesting the funds were growing. Roberts repeatedly made excuses when asked to return