The Grindr grifter: Love rodent swindles guys he came across on homosexual dating software
Elie Bumba travelled around unique Zealand wooing and conference males he satisfied through various internet dating apps. He then stole just what profit, notes and various other products he might get from their website.
It absolutely was a way of living of deception and duplicity that obtained the Hamilton 22-year-old about $24,000 in illegal takings and, ultimately, a 22-month period in prison.
But his unwitting times weren’t really the only victims of Elie Dongala Bumba’s penchant for pinching funds that failed to belong to your. Flatmates and also his own grandma turned into their targets. Altogether the guy cheated or stole from 13 people or companies.
Bumba’s facts ended up being revealed at their sentencing inside the Hamilton section judge on Tuesday, where he appeared on a raft of expenses such as causing loss by deception, and making use of a document for pecuniary benefit.
The initial of their dates had been one which he linked to through online dating application Grindr in June 2016. After spending the night at people’s room, Bumba grabbed two debit cards – one personal, one for all the man’s companies – and went on a $743 purchasing spree together.
But that has been simply the start.
Utilizing an identical modus operandi these month, Bumba hooked up with an Auckland man and even though at their household grabbed their bank card, which he familiar with render 98 purchases totalling $4846.
Alike month the guy receive another sufferer in Hamilton through Grindr, and got that mans bank card from their budget, which he utilized for purchases well worth $403.
Very early August that 12 months netted a next Grindr go out in Auckland, from who the guy took another mastercard. This time the spend-up was actually $1269.
That prey turned into familiar with the unauthorised transactions but had been not aware it absolutely was his gender partner, together with pair persisted to see one another.
In March 2017 that man decided to go to the Southern Island and while he had been down there Bumba generated shopping on another card in Auckland, and open account with Vodafone and 2 grade Smartphone, incurring credit in excess of $3000.
He came across and took another Auckland sufferer’s cards from a bedside table in October 2016. Then your following thirty days he utilized the online dating application Hornet to fulfill another prey, exactly who he noticed repeatedly across appropriate several months.
Bumba swiped US$1100 (about NZ$1645) in money from that people’s bedside cabinet and got their bank card info. Thereon occasion the actual only real order had been a $20 Vodafone top-up.
During the early 2017 still another sufferer ended up being found. His bank card info happened to be removed by Bumba and 110 purchases of edibles, mobile credit score rating and transfer treatments totalling $5662 used – all without utilization of the real cards.
In February 2018 Bumba used Grindr discover another sufferer. Bumba scheduled a-room within Astelia resorts in Wellington plus it had been around they found.
Later, while that man was actually taking a shower, Bumba shoot his motorist’s licence. He after attemptedto utilize the details from that license to try to get memberships with a car rental services and credit cards. They were dropped but programs for Vodafone and 2 levels accounts shown better to obtain. The guy racked upwards debts greater than $3000 in it.
Similar mistakes took place right after, with Bumba’s flatmate in Auckland and therefore flatmate’s nephew given that sufferers.
Prior to Bumba turned to swindling boys he conned his personal grandma – that has elevated your since he was eight years of age – by using their eftpos card and happening an investing spree into tune of adventist dating website $1784 between August and October in 2015.
Their grandmother was a student in healthcare facility at that time, and simply heard bout what happened when she have aside.
And prior, in February 2015, Bumba and a co-employee received a fraudulent mortgage via GE Money, that has been deposited into his Kiwibank bank-account.
The bank picked up on discrepancies from inside the loan application and documentation additionally the almost all the resources happened to be gone back to GE funds before Bumba along with his buddy have an opportunity to invest they.
In courtroom, Bumba’s attorney tag Sturm mentioned his clients was indeed prepared to take part in restorative justice meetings with his subjects and had came across with one, where he’d received “a good-sized feedback”.
Sturm additionally alluded to traumatic activities in Bumba’s last that had aided to contour their present situation, nevertheless these weren’t extended in judge.
“This defendant have not had simple to use in daily life,” the guy stated.
As assess Kim Saunders mentioned whenever sentencing Bumba, while their credentials will help to describe his behaviour, it couldn’t excuse it.
No address was available where he could offer a phrase of homes or neighborhood detention, so prison ended up being the actual only real possible outcome.
