An online dating fraudster from Woolwich scammed more than £100,000 from at least seven men, and police believe she may have targeted even more.

Grace Akintaro, 24, of Pettacre Close, found her victims on the Match dating website using the alias Amanda Jenson.

The men who contacted her thought they had found the love of their lives, but instead were bombarded with repeated requests for money.

They were asked to cover her travel costs so they could meet up, paying the money directly into her bank account, but “Amanda” never appeared.

Various excuses were given to explain why Amanda couldn’t meet them on that date, followed by more requests for money for travel expenses and more excuses why she didn’t appear again.

None of the men ever ended up meeting Amanda, despite transferring thousands of pounds into her bank account.

As well as travel costs, the men were also asked for other short term loans to pay for rent or other costs and would be given different bank account details they were told belonged to her mother or landlord.

Fake documents were used to provide evidence that Amanda Jenson was due to receive an inheritance from a relative and would then be able to pay the money back.

Amongst her victims include a man who had been tricked into handing over more than £46,000, and another who sent money from his wife’s death in service insurance policy from her employer.

Others lost proportions of their pension and another took out an equity release on his house.

All the men ceased contact with Amanda after it became apparent they would never meet her and were unlikely ever to receive their money back.

Police were alerted to the fraud after receiving information from four different men from across the UK saying they had been part of a romance scam. Three further victims of Akintaro’s scam were found as part of the investigation.

Most of the bank accounts involved in the fraud had an address of Pettacre Close, Woolwich, where Akintaro lived.

In total, Akintaro received £104,962.88 into accounts she directly controlled from August 2014 to December 2015.

As for Amanda Jenson, police could find no evidence that this person existed, and the picture Akintaro used on Match appeared to be of a woman who has no idea this fake profile exists.

Another woman, 22-year-old Victoria Nwogu, of Piedmont Road in Plumstead, received £3,490 into accounts she controlled as part of this scam.

Akintaro pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud, while Nwogu pleaded guilty to money laundering, at Woolwich Crown Court yesterday, June 12.

The women will both be sentenced at the same court on June 20.

Detective Constable Mark Cresswell said: “We managed to identify seven victims of this fraud but I suspect there are many more who have not contacted police.

“Romance fraud is often an under-reported crime as victims can be left feeling embarrassed about the sum of money they have handed over to someone they have never met.

“One of the victims we identified in this case said he had not reported it to police because he thought he felt he had been a 'foolish old man'.

“I would like to appeal to anyone who believes they have been a victim of this crime to contact their local police force or Action Fraud.

“We will investigate these allegations and, as these prosecutions show, we will ensure that the perpetrators are unable to commit similar offences against anyone else.

“The majority of accounts on dating websites are genuine people looking for romance, but fraudsters also use them by setting up fake profiles and building up what feels like a loving relationship with people they contact.

“When using online dating websites you should never send money or give away your bank details to someone you have not met, no matter how plausible their story may seem.”

A Match spokesperson said: “We are appalled by these crimes and welcome the convictions in this case.

“Sadly, there is a tiny minority of people who set out to harm others and while this is not confined to dating sites or even the internet, those who do should be brought to justice.

“Our member's safety is our highest priority and we regularly advise our community to be vigilant, to report any suspicious activity and follow the safety recommendations available online and through the app.”

Anyone who believes they have been a victim of fraud can contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.