A guy lied about cancer to swindle money from Tinder dates. Now he's going to prison

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December 14, 2017 5:02 PM

Brandon Kiehm scammed his dates out of $49,000.

Talk about a Tinder creep to end all Tinder creeps.

Brandon Kiehm scammed women on Tinder out of $49,000 in part by spinning lies about his family members having cancer—and now he's paying the price.

In October he pled guilty to grand larceny, identity theft, and scheme to defraud, and last week he was sentenced to two to six years in prison, according to the Associated Press. A press release on the District Attorney's website says he'll also have to pay out $45,258.56 to four of his victims.

Kiehm used a number of techniques to swindle his Tinder matches, including falsely claiming that his relatives needed money for cancer treatments. (We know people aren't just using Tinder to get laid, but this is appalling.)

To steal $14,000 from one woman, Kiehm "repeatedly asked the victim for cash, saying he lost access to his bank account after his wallet was stolen, and that he urgently needed funds to pay for his sister's alleged cancer treatments," according to the press release. To steal $11,000 from another woman, he "made similar claims about immediately needing funds for his mother, who was allegedly being treated for cancer."

The guy also swindled $13,000 and more than $800 from a man who solicited his dog-walking services and a neighbor, respectively.

District Attorney Vance seemed pleased to announce in the statement that Kiehm's "thievish spree" was over.

“Through a series of elaborate scams, Brandon Kiehm exploited dates and acquaintances, swiping tens of thousands of dollars left and right as he emptied victims’ wallets and accounts,” District Attorney Vance said in a statement. “Even after his initial indictment, this defendant continued swindling victims, demonstrating a total lack of accountability or remorse. Now, thanks to the dedicated prosecutors in my Office’s Financial Frauds Bureau, his thievish spree ends here."

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