A convicted conman is now trawling online dating sites looking for unsuspecting victims he can dupe.
Michael Higgins uses Tinder and Bumble looking for love and claims to be a wealthy businessman with several luxury properties and cars.
The 39-year-old however has previously been convicted for conning people into buying cheap electronic goods, taking the money and then failing to deliver the items, the Daily Record reports.
Police have now launched a fresh probe into the new claims made against Higgins suggesting he is doing the same thing to women he meets on dating sites.
Fleur Brand revealed how she fell for the 39-year-old after seeing his profile on Bumble.
She was left furious after handing over money for electronic goods that Higgins never delivered, prompting her to demand her money back.
The 32-year-old met Higgins after seeing his profile on Bumble in October 2020.
She believed she had met a "lovely guy" who lured her in with "generous" treats and the façade of a luxury lifestyle.
Weeks into their relationship, Higgins convinced Fleur to send him hundreds of pounds for an iPad from the electronics company he works for.
Fleur never received the tech and spent almost a year fighting to get her money back.
After taking to social media to name and shame Higgins, Fleur was sent dozens of messages from other people targeted by the conman, many reporting that he is continuing his deceit on Tinder.
Fleur told the Daily Record: “This man will say everything you want to hear.
"He told me he was looking for a relationship and told me he had a bad past experience with an ex he called a ‘psycho’.
“He had a really nice car, he dressed really well and he always came over to my place with fancy takeaways and wine. He seemed to be very generous.”
Their relationship soured when Fleur began to question why the iPad she had paid for never turned up.
She claims Higgins turned “nasty”, accusing her of harassment and being bitter “just because he didn’t fancy her” in dozens of messages.
He sent Fleur excuse after excuse as he dodged her requests, mostly blaming issues with online banking.
When she told him she would have no choice but to contact the police, he threatened her with “pals” he claimed to have within the force.
Fleur kept in contact with Higgins over the next year in a “push and pull relationship” hoping to find proof of deception.
After she threatened to go to the police in January 2022, he quickly transferred some cash, but continued to provide excuses over the rest.
It was only after a chance meeting with him in an Edinburgh restaurant in February this year, where she seized his phone and refused to return it until he coughed up the cash, that she finally got the rest of her money back.
But the experience has left her “beside herself” as she has struggled to come to terms with his behaviour.
Fleur said: “I didn’t eat for about two weeks and lost a stone.
"He made me feel so upset with myself for accusing him. I was beside myself.”
Dozens of women have now reached out to Fleur to say they were also targeted by Higgins since she outed him on social media in March.
She added: "I wanted to warn others because of the mental impact this had on me. This man made me feel like I was going mad.”
One previous victim revealed how Higgins scammed her out of cash for electronic equipment that never came before he was convicted for the scam in 2018.
She told how Higgins will target anyone – male and female – he thinks is gullible enough to trust him.
The woman, who did not want to be named, was conned twice by the conman and revealed he even convinced a mourner at a funeral to give him money for the non-existent phones.
She said it was the death of a mutual school friend that reunited Higgins and other people from the village they grew up in, Balerno near Edinburgh.
She said: “I tried to warn people years ago on selling sites not to believe a word he says. Many people have lost money because of him.
"I feel strongly that people should know this man is a fraud and will say anything to get you to back off when you’re chasing him for the phone or your money back.”
Several people have complained to the police and Higgins pleaded guilty to fraud in January 2018.
He was order to pay compensation to victims.
The Daily Record contacted Higgins for comment on his current mobile phone number but he did not respond to calls or online messages.
He also deleted his Instagram account yesterday after the Record attempted to contact him over social media. It is understood he lives in a property in Livingston.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We received a report on Friday, February 25, 2022, raising concern about the activities of a man in the Edinburgh area. No criminality was established and suitable advice was given.
“A further report was received on April 4 and officers are carrying out further inquiries.”
