Christopher Alan Collins, a 37-year-old former VFL footballer and suburban cricketer dubbed Melbourne's "Tinder swindler", has pleaded guilty to a fresh string of charges after conning a woman out of almost $350,000 and threatening to kill her. The case marks a repeat offence for Collins, who has previous convictions for defrauding several women he met through dating apps, and highlights ongoing concerns about predatory behaviour and manipulation on online dating platforms.

Appearing on remand at Melbourne County Court, Collins admitted charges including obtaining a financial advantage by deception and blackmail, after coercing his victim into paying him $344,894 between January and June last year by falsely claiming he owed "debts to certain people". He also pleaded guilty to threatening to kill the woman in Avondale Heights in June last year. Collins, a self-described professional gambler, had previously been jailed in 2022 for stealing more than $100,000 from other dating app victims, funnelling their money into betting accounts with Sportsbet, TAB and bet365, and using manipulation tactics including fake messages, false claims of debts to bikies, and threats of suicide.