Fraud Rick McLeod faces Court over Oasis dating app scams

An ageing Lothario love rat’s wicked ways are over after he was snared by police after conning four women he met on an online dating app out of almost $200k.

Rick McLeod is going to jail for stealing almost $200,000 from four women he met on online dating apps.

An ageing love rat with a decades-long history of deception conned four women out of almost $200,000 with broken promises and lies after meeting them on a dating app.

Rick McLeod, 74, initially fessed up to three charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception and one of obtaining property by deception in the County Court — despite an unsuccessful bid to change his pleas — and will be sentenced December 1.

He appeared for a plea hearing on Friday and his bail was discontinued, despite requesting the court not to remand him in custody as he needed to attend to personal issues.

McLeod had met the women on the dating app Oasis between 2017 and 2019.

In the first case, McLeod told the woman he was an investor or financial adviser and claimed to work with high-profile people.

He told her he had an investment opportunity whereby she could gain a return on her money.

She then sent him a total of $32,000.

McLeod met the second woman on the dating app and told her he was a chartered accountant involved with high-end barristers and lawyers.

Crook Rick McLeod met four women on online dating apps and convinced them to give him nearly $200,000

After they went out a few times, he offered her a deal to invest money with him for a return with interest.

She transferred a total of $80,000 to him, none of which he invested.

McLeod met his third victim in a Carrum Downs pub in September 2018.

He told her he was a lawyer and was setting up a brothel, and offered to employ her as a receptionist.

He later visited her at her home and said he could get her a discount on her car loan if she gave the money to him.

She then transferred him $15,200, which he did not use to obtain a car loan on her behalf.

McLeod met the fourth woman on the dating app Oasis and told her he would invest money on her behalf.

After being involved in an intimate relationship with her for some time, McLeod began talking about the possibility of marrying her.

He also then began to talk about her financial situation, and she admitted she was both debt-free and had savings and superannuation.

Love rat Rick McLeod, 74, is facing a stint behind bars. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

At one point, he sent her a message saying he wanted a “soulmate” and “partner in crime” for his investments.

McLeod convinced her she could trust him to invest her money and she transferred him a total of $55,000.

The fourth woman reported the matter to police in June 2019.

The court heard McLeod had racked up hundreds of charges since 1982, almost entirely for dishonesty offending, with prosecutor Peter Pickering describing McLeod’s previous convictions as “terrible” and said the latest offending amounted to predatory behaviour.

Specific deterrence in the past, he submitted, has not worked and he doubted McLeod was remorseful given his previous offending and changing of lawyers and instructions for his latest offending.

Defence lawyer Andrew Dickenson submitted a prison term, coupled with a Community Corrections Order to assist in McLeod’s rehabilitation, would be ideal.

Asked by Judge Peter Rozen what he thought about McLeod’s prospects of rehabilitation, Dickenson said one had to be guarded.