Sumaiya Khurram: Woman conned her friend of 20 years out of $191,104 by catfishing her online

A catfish fraudster who conned her friend of two decades out of £92,000 (AUD $181,104) by posing as a ‘pretty boy’ online has been jailed.

Sumaiya Khurram, 33, convinced the victim to part with her life savings after impersonating a man who claimed to be in love with her.

The online persona told the victim he needed private treatment for blood cancer before Khurram’s disabled and vulnerable friend handed over the money.

Birmingham Crown Court heard the deception went on for 20 months before the victim ran out of money.

Khurram had previously admitted fraud and was jailed for three years and nine months.

Judge Peter Cooke described it as “one of the most despicable cases of its kind”.

The court was told Khurram, from Bordesley Green, Birmingham, had sent numerous pictures of a young Asian male including one with a heart and the words “I love you”.

Communications were all done via WhatsApp and included discussions over “how far she would go sexually”.

Andrew Wallace, prosecuting, said: “This case concerns the defendant catfishing her friend by pretending to be a boy who was in love with her.”

Catfishing involves using a fake identity to deceive people online. Mr Wallace said: “She [the victim] was a vulnerable individual who had obvious physical disabilities and who believed that the defendant was her friend.”

He said the offence took place between 2015 and 2017 and the victim had been introduced to a “man” called Etesham Khan by Khurram.

The defendant then took advantage of the victim’s strict Muslim faith and she believed that Khan was someone she was going to meet and marry.

Mr Wallace said the victim was conned into handing over £92,300 (AUD $181,694) after being told that her fictitious lover was suffering from blood cancer and needed private care.

He added: “At the same time the defendant was acting as her confidante discussing the relationship and encouraging it.

“‘Even after the money had run out there were threats made by the defendant of exposing it.”

He said the victim made a total of 52 payments and the money either went into Khurram’s account or was transferred to members of her family.

In a statement the victim said they had been friends for 20 years and Khurram, who knew she had been bullied at school, had betrayed her trust.

She added: “She has taken away my health and wealth and I have felt like taking my own life at times.”

Sentencing, the judge said: “Your families have been on friendly terms for 20 years-plus and you have been or pretended to be her friend since your teens.

“You knew all about her, you knew of her physical disabilities and mobility difficulties.

“You knew full well how vulnerable she was when you embarked on this wicked scheme.

“She was inexperienced in the ways of the world and you dangled before her the images of a pretty boy, a character you created.

“You bombarded her with pictures.”

Justin Jarmola, in mitigation, said Khurram had shown remorse and although it was “catfishing of a particularly nasty nature” it was not sophisticated and did not require too much planning.

He added that the defendant had not offended since.