A fraudster who posed as a doctor and a barrister to con thousands of pounds from women he met through online dating sites has been jailed.

Amir Tofangsazan, 27, of Norfolk Road, Barnet, was sentenced to seven years and nine months in jail for 15 counts of fraud last Thursday.

He was found guilty last Wednesday following a five-week trial at Isleworth Crown Court.

Tofangsazan was also found guilty of three other separate offences including theft, perverting the course of justice and possessing items concerned in fraud.

Between May 2012 and July 2014, Tofangsazan created several profiles on online dating sites using different identities, including those of a doctor and a barrister.

Once a victim had made contact, he would gain their trust and after a few weeks was able to convince them they were in a secure relationship.

Tofangsazan would then start to ask them to lend him money, which he would promise to pay back.

Sometimes he would take money from his victims by promising them discounted plane or event tickets, which he said he was able to get because of his job.

When the tickets failed to arrive, or the loans were not repaid, Tofangsazan would make up excuses or accuse his victims of lying and end the relationship.

Some of his victims also had their bank cards photographed without their knowledge. The details of the card were later used to pay for dates or fund his lifestyle.

On one occasion, having stolen £300 from a victim, he accused her of stealing from him.

This led to the woman being interviewed by police. However, following police investigation, Tofangsazan was arrested and charged with theft and perverting the course of justice.

Another victim was so convinced that the relationship was long term that Tofangsazan was able to defraud nearly £15,000 from her.

Tofangsazan was eventually caught out after the victim found a note in his pocket with his real name. After searching for him online, she found out he was involved in a number of other frauds and contacted police.

During the investigation Tofangsazan continued to maintain his innocence and was arrested several times as further victims were identified.

He also continued to carry out his scams while on bail.

Detective Sergeant Richard Jones from Hammersmith and Fulham CID said: "Tofangsazan's sole intention was to exploit women by creating a web of lies purely for financial gain or to fulfill his sexual fantasies.

"All his victims were deceived into thinking that they were talking to a man who was genuinely looking for love but ended up being used.

"I hope this sentence sends out a clear message to people who think they can hide behind fake profiles and carry out these scams that they will be caught and dealt with by the courts.

"I would like to thank all the victims involved for their courage in assisting police with the investigations and going through the distressing experience of giving evidence about a very personal subject."