The Grindr grifter: Love rat swindles guys he came across on homosexual relationship application

Elie Bumba travelled around brand new Zealand wooing and conference guys he came across through different dating apps. He then took exactly what cash, cards along with other items he might get from their store.

It absolutely was a life style of deception and duplicity that earned the Hamilton 22-year-old about $24,000 in illegal takings and, finally, a 22-month stint in prison.

But their unwitting times had been maybe not really the only victims of Elie Dongala Bumba’s penchant for pinching cash that did not fit in with him. Flatmates and also their grandmother that is own became goals. As a whole he swindled or took from 13 individuals or organisations.

Bumba’s tale had been revealed at their sentencing into the Hamilton District Court on Tuesday, where he showed up for a raft of fees including loss that is causing deception, and utilizing a document for pecuniary benefit.

The initial of their times ended up being a person who he associated with through the dating application Grindr in June 2016. After investing the evening in the guy’s house, Bumba took two debit cards – one individual, one when it comes to guy’s company – and proceeded a $743 investing spree using them.

But that has been simply the begin.

Utilizing a comparable modus operandi the next thirty days, Bumba installed by having an Auckland guy even though at their home took their bank card, that he used which will make 98 purchases totalling $4846.

The month that is same discovered another target in Hamilton through Grindr, and datingmentor.org/escort/fargo took that guy’s charge card from his wallet, that he useful for acquisitions well worth $403.

Early August that year netted a 4th grindr date in Auckland, from who he took another bank card. This time around the spend-up ended up being $1269.

That target became alert to the transactions that are unauthorised had been unaware it was their intercourse partner, as well as the pair proceeded to see one another.

In March 2017 that guy decided to go to the South Island and even though he was down there Bumba made purchases on a card that is different Auckland, and exposed reports with Vodafone and 2 levels Cellphone, incurring debts of greater than $3000.

He came across and took another Auckland target’s card from the bedside dining table in October 2016. Then a after thirty days he utilized the dating app Hornet to meet up another target, whom he saw many times throughout the after months.

Bumba swiped US$1100 (about NZ$1645) in money from that man’s bedside drawer and got their charge card details. The only purchase was a $20 Vodafone top-up on that occasion.

At the beginning of 2017 still another target ended up being positioned. Their charge card details had been disassembled by Bumba and 110 acquisitions of meals, phone credit and transportation services totalling $5662 followed – all without utilization of the card that is actual.

In 2018 Bumba used Grindr to find another victim february. Bumba booked space during the Astelia resort in Wellington and it also had been here they came across.

Afterwards, while a shower was being taken by that man, Bumba photographed their driver’s licence. He later attempted to make use of the important points from that licence to try to get memberships by having a car leasing service and credit cards. We were holding declined but applications for Vodafone and 2 levels records proved much easier to get. He racked up debts of greater than $3000 in it.

Comparable misdeeds were held soon after, with Bumba’s flatmate in Auckland and that flatmate’s nephew due to the fact victims.

But before Bumba turned to swindling men he scammed their very own grandmother – whom had raised him since he had been eight years old – by firmly taking her eftpos card and taking place a investing spree towards the tune of $1784 between August and October in 2015.

Their grandmother was at hospital during the right time, and just heard bout what took place whenever she got away.

And earlier, in February 2015, Bumba and an associate at work obtained a fraudulent loan via GE cash, that has been deposited into their Kiwibank banking account.

The lender picked on discrepancies into the application for the loan and paperwork and a lot of the funds had been gone back to GE cash before Bumba along with his buddy had to be able to spend it.

In court, Bumba’s lawyer Mark Sturm stated his customer have been prepared to be involved in restorative justice conferences along with his victims together with met with one, where he had gotten „a nice reaction”.

Sturm additionally alluded to events that are traumatic Bumba’s past which had assisted to shape their current circumstances, however these weren’t expanded on in court.

„This defendant has not yet had it simple in life,” he stated.

As Judge Kim Saunders noted whenever sentencing Bumba, while their back ground might help explain their behaviour, it failed to excuse it.

No target had been available where he could provide a phrase of house or community detention, therefore jail was really the only feasible outcome.