A “PROFESSIONAL CONMAN” who tricked more than 20 people out of £104,000 pretending to be a renowned international wine trader has been jailed.

Lasse Hartmann, 44, claimed to be “Lars Petraeus”, a well-connected multi-millionaire businessman selling luxury wine packages to get money out of a long list of victims.

His first target was an “influential” food blogger from Ilford he befriended online in January 2014, whose trust he gained by buying several lavish presents with his credit card.

Hartmann, of Archway, north London, managed to take control of two of her bank accounts and convinced her to lend him thousands of pounds he never paid back.

His other victims included an online meat trader he pretended to go into business with - only to end up losing the fake enterprise £37,000, and a chef he stole £3,500 from.

The 44-year-old’s fraud was so elaborate he hired a personal assistant and a chauffeur to make him appear more legitimate.

He was arrested after an investigation by the Met Police’s online fraud unit FALCON.

FALCON’s PC Alex Ramsay said: “Hartmann is a professional conman and fraudster.

“He didn’t care about the people he was hurting, either financially or emotionally, not least the woman who thought she was going to marry him.

“He never had any intention of delivering his side of the bargain and simply used his victims’ money to fund his lavish lifestyle and gambling habit.

“His prison sentence reflects the devastation and misery he has caused.”

Hartmann, a Danish national, paid back £18,000 of what he stole when he realised the police were onto him, but was still found guilty of 22 counts of fraud.

He was handed four years in prison at Snaresbrook Crown Court yesterday (July 19).