Dating app conman Leigh Abbot caught swindling thousands from new victims in dead dad rort

A Tinder swindler who scammed multiple women out of $160,000 in an online dating revenge porn shakedown has been caught conning a further $22,000, using his dead father as a cover story.

Leigh Abbot, pleaded guilty to 27 charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception relating to $22,280.

A Maidstone man previously jailed for scamming multiple women out of almost $160,000 has struck again, pilfering more than $22,000 from his targets by using stories about his dead father.

Leigh Abbot, 46, pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on May 6 to 23 charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception.

Appearing via video link, Abbot entered his guilty plea for the offending that spanned December 2023 and April 2024.

In charge sheets seen by the Herald Sun, Abbot used excuses including needing the money to assist in moving his late father’s belongings, hiring a truck to do so, as well as needing the cash for work expenses, lunches and Uber trips.

Court documents show Abbot told victims he needed the cash to move his dead father’s belongings.

Abbot was previously jailed in 2017 for similar offending where he extorted almost $160,000 from women on dating apps, where he threatened to release sexually explicit photos of them.

After earning their trust and building relationships with his unsuspecting victims, Abbot at first told the women he would pay them back.

Abbot was failed in 2017 for an online dating scam where he swindled more than $160,000 from women after threatening to release explicit photos of them to their workplaces.

However, he later threatened to send images they had shared with him to their workplaces, or distribute them through letter box drops in their local areas if they did not give him more cash.

He was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in a Perth prison.

Abbot will remain on bail of his own undertaking, with specific conditions including being required to not attend any gaming venues.

He will return to the County Court in November for a one day plea hearing.