Dionne Marie Hanna, 84, a British national who appeared in the Netflix documentary “Con Mum,” faced five counts of fraud by false representation in Singapore’s State Courts on April 5, 2025.
Hanna attended court via video link from a hospital bed at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. She was dressed in a striped shirt and accompanied by an investigating officer. She did not have legal representation.
The charges relate to incidents that allegedly took place in Singapore and France between February and March 2025.
Court documents show Hanna allegedly deceived Mr. Mohamed Ariffin Mohamed Kawaja Kamaludin at Singapore’s Grand Hyatt hotel from February 13-14. She falsely claimed she had terminal cancer and intended to donate $3 million to Masjid Khalid and $2 million to Mawar Community Services, an organization that assists ex-offenders.
Between February 17 and March 10 in Singapore, Hanna reportedly told Mr. Paiman Supangat that she belonged to the Brunei royal family, suffered from terminal cancer, and wanted to give her wealth to him and his son.
While in France between February 28 and March 10, she allegedly lied to Mr. Paiman about repaying money borrowed for shopping expenses. From March 3-5 in France, she allegedly tricked him into paying legal fees for opening a bank account and to increase her contribution to him.
On March 10 in Singapore, Hanna allegedly told Mr. Mohamed Syafiq Paiman she had terminal cancer and wanted to distribute her wealth to him.
The judge ordered Hanna to be remanded for a week after her hospital discharge and allowed her to be taken out for investigations into similar offenses. Her case will continue on April 11.
Singapore police began receiving reports from victims on March 28, shortly after “Con Mum” premiered on Netflix on March 25. Victims reportedly only realized they had been scammed after seeing Hanna in the documentary.
Police stated Hanna is believed to be involved in at least five cases of cheating with losses exceeding $200,000. Victims were allegedly asked to transfer money for legal fees and opening overseas bank accounts with promises of reimbursement through Hanna’s inheritance.
“Con Mum” documents how London pastry chef Graham Hornigold’s life changed when Hanna, claiming to be his long-lost mother, reappeared in 2020 after a 45-year absence. According to the documentary, she presented herself as a wealthy daughter of the sultan of Brunei and allegedly scammed Mr. Hornigold and others out of more than £300,000 ($520,000).
The situation reportedly caused Mr. Hornigold’s separation from his partner. The documentary includes interviews with Mr. Hornigold, his ex-partner, and other alleged victims. Hanna did not participate in the filming.
A DNA test shown at the end of the documentary confirmed Hanna is Mr. Hornigold’s biological mother. In the final scenes, Mr. Hornigold has a video call with Hanna, who claimed to be in Malaysia. Her location was unknown until her arrest in Singapore.
If convicted of fraud by false representation in Singapore, Hanna faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine, or both.
