A Hull woman admitted at court that she tricked a man she had met online into handing over more than £25,000 by falsely claiming the money was needed for veterinary treatment.
Police and court timeline
Bethanie Fisher, 33, of Old Harbour Court in Hull, entered a guilty plea on 29 July 2026 to a charge of fraud by false representation. The offence related to payments totalling £25,476 made by the victim between 9 May 2024 and 28 June 2024.
Fisher was arrested on 30 July 2025. At a hearing, Recorder Gordon Stables described the conduct as “very serious” and “mean”. He deferred sentencing until February next year and gave Fisher until that hearing date to start putting money aside to repay the victim.
How the fraud unfolded
The court heard the pair first made contact on Twitter in 2022 and that the defendant used her account to post content of a sexual nature. The relationship, while never in-person, developed over a number of years and the victim believed they were friends.
Prosecutors say the pattern changed in May 2024 when Fisher began asking for money to cover alleged veterinary bills, saying her pet insurance would not pay out immediately. The complainant made an initial payment of £2,200 and continued to send funds after being told Fisher had a job interview and would repay the loans.
“The defendant's Twitter account was used for work, for content of a sexual nature. The victim in 2022 began making payments to the defendant in order to speak to her. He willingly made these payments and they do not form part of the fraud. However, in May 2024 things began to change.”
The prosecution said that further payments were made until late June 2024, and that by November 2024 the victim had written to Fisher threatening legal action if the sums were not returned.
Local consequences and community concerns
The case underlines the risks that can arise from online relationships, particularly where monetary requests begin to follow. For people in Hull and across the region who use social platforms to form friendships, this ruling serves as a reminder to exercise caution when money is requested, even from someone perceived as a friend.
- Amount taken: £25,476
- Period of wrongful payments: 9 May 2024 – 28 June 2024
- Arrested: 30 July 2025
- Guilty plea: 29 July 2026
- Sentencing deferred until: February (next hearing)
Recorder Stables imposed a requirement that Fisher should begin to save with the intention of making restitution by the next hearing. No sentence was passed at the most recent hearing.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Bethanie Fisher, 33 (Old Harbour Court, Hull) |
| Charge | Fraud by false representation |
| Amount paid | £25,476 |
| Key dates | Payments: 9 May–28 June 2024; Arrest: 30 July 2025; Guilty plea: 29 July 2026 |
Local campaigners and organisations supporting victims of fraud say such cases can be particularly damaging when the victim believes they have formed a genuine connection. The court record shows the payments initially related to contact on social media and to content the defendant was providing as part of her online activity; prosecutors distinguished those earlier payments, which were voluntary, from the later claims about vet bills that formed the basis of the fraud charge.
The complainant had received an inheritance from his late mother which, the court was told, he subsequently spent in transfers to Fisher after they formed an online relationship. The man has sought repayment and the court has given Fisher an opportunity to start making good the sums before she is formally sentenced.
The case will return to court in February when the judge will consider mitigation, any repayments made and sentence Fisher accordingly.
