'I thought I was speaking to my favourite TV vet - I lost £11,000'

Daily Mirror

22-05-2025

Lisa Nock, 44, was drawn in by a 'fake but convincing' Instagram account of Dr Chris - an Australian veterinarian best known for the television series Bondi Vet
A disabled woman was conned out of £11,000 by a scammer on Instagram pretending to be an Australian TV vet. Lisa Nock, 44, a self-confessed superfan, fell for a "fake but convincing" profile claiming to be Dr Chris Brown from the popular show Bondi Vet.
The scam artist struck up a conversation with Lisa, leading her to believe she was chatting with the real celebrity vet. The chats soon took a "romantic" turn, and the imposter began "love bombing" her, even going as far as proposing marriage.
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Convinced she was in a genuine relationship, Lisa sent money for supposed flights and visas so that 'Dr Chris' could visit her in the UK. Over 18 months, she made multiple payments totalling £11,000 to various cryptocurrency wallets, with one transaction alone amounting to £7,000.
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The money, mostly sourced from her disability allowance, forced Lisa to give up her Taekwondo and swimming lessons to support the scam. It wasn't until January 2025 that Lisa realised the truth, severed ties with the charlatan, and contacted West Midlands Police, who passed the case to Action Fraud. The investigation into the incident is still underway.
Lisa, from Staffordshire in the West Midlands, who is unable to work, said: "I thought it was real at the time. Although they were flirty at the beginning, we were talking for six months before money was mentioned."
She lamented how the fraudster fully exploited her vulnerability: "They knew I was disabled, had limited funds and they exploited that entirely. Didn't have a lot financially and now I've been left with nothing.
"I'm sharing my story to help warn others, especially those that are vulnerable like me. I never thought something like this would happen to me- until it was too late."
Lisa's ordeal began when she reached out to what she believed was Dr Chris' official Instagram account in September 2022 - receiving an instant reply. She was swept off her feet as their communication quickly escalated from friendly chats about family and friends to heavy flirting and so-called 'love bombing'.
"I felt very excited because I wasn't expecting a response," Lisa said. "Our chat started friendly, talking about family and friends, but then it soon turned flirty and then the love bombing started. I wasn't looking for something like that, but I liked the friendship side of it."
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By November, Dr Chris' impersonator professed his "love" for Lisa and expressed a desire to meet her in person. Claiming he needed £2,000 for flights to the UK, he manipulated Lisa's emotions.
Lisa admitted: "I lost myself in it and believed that he loved me. I wanted to see him so much, I started going without things like Taekwondo and swimming lessons to transfer the money."
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On April 23, 2023, Lisa transferred £2,000 to a bank account via PayPal in anticipation of his visit. The scammer's ruse continued when he convinced her to send an additional £7,000 to cover the cost of hiring another vet to fill in on Bondi Vet during his supposed upcoming visit to the UK.
He helped her create a cryptocurrency wallet — only accessible with a unique private key — and Lisa handed over an additional £2,000 in digital currency payments before finally declaring in December 2024 that she "couldn't do it anymore" as she was financially stretched.
The scammer ceased contact with Lisa abruptly. It was when Lisa noticed the emails came from personal Yahoo accounts rather than official veterinary clinic addresses that she began to smell a rat.
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On January 31, 2025, Lisa decided enough was enough and reported the matter to West Midlands Police. Her case has since been referred to Action Fraud and she's currently awaiting further news on the situation.
Lisa reflected on the experience with regret, saying: "I'm not hopeful that I'll get any money back. They are sneaky and clever - they really fooled me. I feel humiliated and let down.
"Looking back, there were red flags, such as I never spoke to this person over the phone or FaceTime. I stopped buying certain things and going out with my friend so I could put aside some of my disability allowance.
"How can people be so cruel. To this day, I don't know who I was talking to for a year-and-a-half, which is scary. I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I have and I hope the real Dr Chris knows I'm still a fan."