73:, Canada, claiming her name was Aurora Hepburn and that she was the victim of a sexual assault and abduction. The police spent an estimated CA$ 150,000 (A$ 166,000), assembling a case, only to be informed of her identity. Azzopardi was charged with public mischief. In December 2014, the Canadian courts sentenced her to two months detention, which she had already served, and deported her back to Australia a week later, accompanied by a Canadian Border Services Agency officer, so that she did not disappear en route.
92:, claiming to be a 14-year-old who had been abused by her uncle. After this incident, she was charged with child stealing, theft and property deception, to which she pleaded guilty in May 2021 and received a two-year sentence. During the trial, it was revealed following multiple assessments that she had been diagnosed by Australian forensic psychiatrist Jacqueline Rakov as suffering
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in New South Wales, claiming to be a 13-year-old named Harper Hart. In June 2017, she was charged with "dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, for the education, counselling, food, accommodation and electronics she was given while posing as Harper". She pleaded guilty and was
22:(born 21 August 1988) is an Australian con artist who has been accused of many instances of conning families and authorities, not only in her native Australia but also in Ireland and Canada. In May 2021, the Melbourne Magistrates Court sentenced her to two years imprisonment.
61:(GPO) in October 2013, wandering up and down and apparently unable to speak English. She came to be known as the "GPO Girl". The police believed that she was the victim of sex trafficking and was around 14 years of age. When she was eventually identified, the opinion of the
88:. Claiming to be 18 years old and called Sakah, Azzopardi moved into their home to become their au pair under false credentials. In November 2019, she told the parents she was taking the two children on a picnic, but instead took them to a mental health unit in
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was divided; some maintained that she had not committed a crime as she had not actually claimed anything had been done to her and so needed mental health treatment, whereas others wanted her charged for wasting police time.
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Documentary On One in
Ireland. Speaking with victims, police and care workers, the team also contacted Azzopardi. The series reached No. 1 in
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260:"'GPO Girl' who pretended to be trafficking victim pleads guilty to kidnapping charges in Australia"
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296:"Four years after 'GPO girl' mystery, the woman behind it appeals jail sentence in Australia"
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396:"Sex victim con artist deported after police spend $ 150,000 investigating false claims"
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Ireland, as well as charting in the top 10 podcast charts in numerous other countries.
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441:"Samantha Azzopardi: Fake nanny and pretend schoolgirl jailed for maximum two years"
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317:"Samantha Azzopardi: Australia's notorious con artist sentenced for child theft"
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369:"Australian woman charged with mischief in false sex exploitation case"
208:"Ireland mystery woman identified as Australian Samantha Azzopardi, 25"
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343:"Campbelltown woman jailed for claiming to be sex-trafficking victim"
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In
October 2019, she met a French couple who had recently moved to
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Davies, Anne; Calligeros, Marissa; Levy, Megan (7 November 2013).
182:"How global fraudster Samantha Azzopardi duped Melbourne families"
234:"Samantha Azzopardi posed as teenager, enrolled in Sydney school"
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In late 2016, Azzopardi enrolled at the Good
Shepherd School at
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415:"Serial fraudster Samantha Azzopardi charged with child theft"
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278:"GPO Girl: A comprehensive series of articles on this topic"
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In
September 2014, Azzopardi walked into a health centre in
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Azzopardi first came to the attention of authorities in
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in the United
Kingdom and Ireland on 22 February 2023.
38:, Australia, on 21 August 1988, of Maltese heritage.
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110:In 2023, Azzopardi was the subject of a seven-part
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616:People with borderline personality disorder
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525:"Con Girl true crime factual for Seven"
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30:Samantha Lyndell Azzopardi was born in
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413:McMillan, Ashleigh (3 November 2019).
232:Mitchell, Georgina (30 October 2017).
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394:McClure, Matt (8 December 2014).
258:Cumiskey, Neasa (31 March 2021).
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180:Koob, Simone Fox (29 May 2021).
57:Azzopardi was found outside the
596:False allegations of sex crimes
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496:"Finding Samantha Media Update"
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20:Samantha Lyndell Azzopardi
601:People convicted of fraud
494:RTE, website (May 2023).
238:The Sydney Morning Herald
212:The Sydney Morning Herald
148:that premiered on the
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606:Criminals from Sydney
586:Australian fraudsters
16:Australian con artist
42:Criminal activities
467:"Finding Samantha"
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349:. 21 July 2017
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48:Rockhampton
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530:TV Tonight
160:References
154:Paramount+
146:docuseries
112:true crime
26:Early life
591:Impostors
86:Melbourne
479:10 April
450:16 March
321:BBC News
142:Con Girl
135:Con Girl
52:Brisbane
419:The Age
373:Calgary
186:The Age
128:Spotify
90:Bendigo
71:Calgary
508:23 May
501:RTE.ie
472:RTE.ie
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124:iTunes
504:. RTE
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