I’m 44 & I was catfished by fake Giovanni Pernice – he bombarded me with ‘lovebomb’ texts until I paid him £62k
A NURSE was catfished by a fake Giovanni Pernice out of £62,000 after the fraudster lovebombed her with texts.
The scammer is the latest shock for the Strictly Come Dancing star, 33, who quit the show after allegations about behind the scenes ‘misconduct’.
Divorcee Ceecee, 44, fell victim to the scam last year after she had gone to see the Strictly star with her mum in Inverness.
Following the show, the woman left a comment on his Facebook page and was then stunned to receive a ‘reply’ from the dancer within 15 minutes.
Ceecee, a fake name, told the Daily Record that she bought into the scammers claims and then was tricked into paying £1,500 a week to the fraudster.
She said: “It happened after I made a comment on his fan page. I got a response within 15 minutes and we began chatting about Strictly. Then he asked me about myself.”
But Ceecee said the scammer then began to ask for little favours, like asking the nurse to pay for their lunch and Amazon vouchers.
Eventually the scammer said they loved Ceecee and wanted to be with her forever, marry her, and that they had never met a woman like her.
Next thing, she was sending the fraudster £1,500 of vouchers a week – only stopping in February this year.
When the scammer asked for £3,200 and said they would send her tickets to go to Strictly, Ceecee thought something might be up.
But, she bought the vouchers anyway realising for good that she had fallen victim to a scam when the tickets never arrived.
Ceecee then questioned the scammer who made “vile” comments about her and threatened to tell her ex-husband and colleagues.
She said: “So when he was nice about stuff, he was really nice, completely love-bombing me all the time – then it turned to absolute hatred.”
Now the nurse says she has had a massive hit to her confidence and feels like she doesn’t know who she is any more.
She said: “I was quite a confident woman, but when he trolled me, telling me that I’m ugly, I’m not good enough and that I’m nothing, it was just horrendous and it gets into your brain.”
Cecee’s bank investigated and returned £41,000 of the £62,000. Detective Chief Inspector Craig Still of CID said: “On Friday, 8 March, 2024, we received a report of romance fraud from the Inverness area. Enquiries are ongoing.
“These criminals seem kind and trustworthy, but they are very skilled at making you believe their feelings are genuine.
“They will speak to you for long periods of time before asking for financial help. Their aim is only to ever get your money.
“We take all reports of this type of crime seriously and would advise that if anyone has been a victim of this type of crime to report it to Police Scotland on 101.”
In June last year Giovanni released an Instagram post addressing the scam when a woman turned up at his work saying ‘Giovanni’ had said they were going to meet.
“She said ‘we spoke last night, you spoke to me, we had a Facetime, we exchanged pictures’.
Giovanni Pernice Strictly scandal timeline
October 2023: Amanda abruptly withdraws from Strictly having already missed one live show. Her departure is announced in a vague BBC statement that ‘wishes her the best’.
Giovanni posts a short message on social media addressing the exit, which read: “Amanda… I am so sad we can’t continue but I am proud of what we achieved and I am sending you so much love.”
Amanda then shares her own farewell statement on Instagram thanking co-stars but failing to mention Gio.
Giovanni’s dad Piero insists there were no signs of a fall out and the pairing could have gone all the way. He praised his son as kind and polite.
November 2023: Giovanni is reportedly gutted by the situation and is considering his Strictly future as questions are raised about his conduct.
January 2024: Amanda’s PTSD diagnosis comes to light and she demands CCTV from rehearsals to prove that Giovanni’s training methods weren’t acceptable.
The BBC issues a statement defending its duty of care to contestants, insisting it takes any claims of wrongdoing very seriously.
The Corporation stands by its man after emergency meeting
March 2024: Giovanni publicly states he has no intention of leaving Strictly in a TV interview with close pal Anton du Beke.
Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore enter the picture. Allegedly the two celebs, who were both previously partnered with Giovanni on Strictly, didn’t feel the BBC took their issues with his methods seriously enough.
The pair have a closed meeting with Amanda where tears are said to be shed.
May 2024: We reveal Giovanni is leaving the programme after having talks with show bosses
He leaves the country with girlfriend Molly Brown on holiday
The BBC launches an internal investigation after three complainants instruct lawyers. A source describes it as a “nightmare situation”.
“But the most horrible thing is she sent £3,000 to this person pretending, this criminal pretending to me.”
The dancer then warned that the only account he had was his official account.
“I’m very sorry if any of you have been in this situation before, but I am just trying to prevent what’s going to be the future.”
The scam comes at a bad time for Giovanni, who remains under the cloud of a misconduct investigation.
It’s been reported Giovanni made a “lewd” gesture to his dance partner during rehearsals, while others have complained about his “militant” training style.
Since the initial three complaints, believed to have been spearheaded by Amanda Abbington, a fourth star has come forward claiming they needed “months of therapy” after working with him.
Amanda later spoke out in an interview to brand Giovanni ‘nasty’ as she spoke about her experience.
In light of the accusations, Giovanni officially quit the series, and has hired a top law firm in order to clear his name.
“To my dear fans, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name,” he wrote in a statement to fans as the investigation came to light.
“Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive.”
How can I protect myself from scams?
By Shanine Bruder
Catfishing is a deceptive activity in which a person creates a fictional persona or fake identity on a social networking service.
The person catfishing uses another person’s photos and life facts to make them appear as a real person.
Often, they then lure their victim into a relationship under a false identity.
A number of television shows have been created surrounding the act of catfishing, including Catfish UK.
Currently there is no specific law that deems the act of catfishing illegal.
Internet law specialists Cohen Davis solicitors explained that with the exception of harassment, “there are no criminal laws against impersonation on social media”.
However, although fake online profiles on social media and dating apps are not illegal themselves, ”there are other activities that engage catfishing or fake online accounts that may turn the otherwise lawful activity into activity which is unlawful”, the firm added.
If a catfish illegally obtains money then they could be found guilty of fraud.
If you think you’ve lost money because of an online scam or fraud and you’re in England or Wales you can call 0300 123 2040 or make an online report.
Similarly, a catfish could also be charged with a number of non-consensual sex related criminal offences if romance fraud has resulted sexual contact.
In this case, any consent given by the victim would be rendered void.
f you’re currently dating online or are considering joining a dating app, it’s important to know how to spot a catfish.
Here’s are some clear signs to look out for that suggest somebody may be deceiving you.
- No social media or social media images appear to be fake or ”too perfect”
- Sparse information on their social media or dating app profile
- Things will escalate to love very quickly
- They promise things that seem to good to be true
- They make up excuses not to meet in person, speak over the phone or chat on a video call
- Refusing to answer questions about themselves
- If they persistently ask for money or gifts before meeting