A man from Swindon who tricked strangers into transferring him thousands of pounds via Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat has been sentenced for fraud.

Aaron Loveridge, 21, of Linslade Street, used social media to build trusting relationships with his victims to persuade them to send him money and promised to pay them back but failed to do so. 

He pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud by false representation at Swindon Magistrates Court on July 15 after taking a total of £3,290.

Between January, 26 2023 and February, 4 2023, Loveridge contacted one victim on Snapchat, posing to be a representative from a bank, asking for £30 to be sent via bank transfer and when this was received, he asked for a further £70 the following day.

He then sent intimidating emails demanding several £100 payments and saying if they refused to send the money, they would risk a financial penalty.

The victim Googled the bank and saw it was real, which led them to believe Loveridge, and they sent £2,050 in total.

On another occasion, Loveridge contacted someone he recognised from school on social media and after developing a friendship, he initially asked to borrow £20 to cover legal fees.

This quickly escalated to £250 along with a threatening message which read: “I will get the boys involved if you don’t send the money”, leaving the victim feeling helpless.

Then between July 18 and 24, Loveridge sent a friend request to someone he did not know, tricking them into a false friendship and persuading them to share personal information, before asking to borrow £50 for court fees and accommodation. 

He said he would only return the money, which the victim had been saving for driving lessons, if they sent photos of themselves, but Loveridge failed to return any money and used the photos as 'leverage' to blackmail the victim into giving him £1,190.

The prosecution argued he ‘used emotional pressure to gain sympathy’, there was ‘emotional exploitation in all cases’ and the victim thought they were doing a ‘good deed to help someone who seemed nice.’

They added that Loveridge used ‘calculated manipulation’ to exploit people who showed him ‘goodwill and kindness.’

The judge told him: “These are really nasty fraud offences. It is really concerning to me and suggests you are quite devious."

Additionally, he sent threatening messages and voice notes said to cause another victim anxiety and distress and pleaded guilty to breaching a non-molestation order, issued last August to stop him from posting comments, images, videos, film or audio footage about the applicant or their son, but he posted comments on Instagram and a video on TikTok referring to them.

A victim statement read: “I’m crying all the time, it’s not a nice feeling.

"I now spend most of my time in my room at home. I only sit downstairs if someone is with me. Whenever I go out now I can only do so by car as I’m scared.”

His defence argued Loveridge accepted that his actions were ‘completely and utterly wrong’, he had issues with gambling and no previous convictions, but it was true that he did have legal fees to pay from a previous court case for a contact order to see his child. 

The judge issued a year-long restraining order, telling him he could only contact the victim through family court. 

Loveridge was also given a suspended sentence for two years and if he commits any further crimes he will have to serve 20 weeks in prison, as well as being ordered to pay £3,290 compensation to his victims over a six-month period and complete 100 hours of unpaid community service.