But how did he not see the cracks in her story? This is where "Con Mum" is masterfully edited. The documentary doesn’t just spoon-feed the audience a tragic scam story it takes you in the emotional turmoil of it all.

Through interviews, archived messages and psychological analysis, we watch as Hornigold’s desperate hope blinds him to red flags that, in hindsight, seem glaringly obvious. It’s both infuriating and heart-wrenching to watch.

What he didn’t know was that every luxurious hotel stay, every lavish gift and every grand gesture was being funded by his own money.

Dionne had convinced him she would reimburse him but in reality, she was bleeding him dry. His savings vanished, his credit cards maxed out and the debts piled up.

The illusion finally crumbled when his partner, Heather Kaniuk, made a chilling discovery: Dionne had no wealth, no sultan lineage and no real illness.

While financial fraud is at the centre of "Con Mum", this documentary goes beyond the usual con-artist narrative.

This isn’t "The Tinder Swindler" or "Inventing Anna", where the scams are slick and flashy. Instead, it delves into something much more personal: how unresolved childhood wounds can make even the most successful people vulnerable to manipulation.

One of the most frustrating parts of the documentary is the lack of legal repercussions. Dionne disappeared back to Malaysia and despite the staggering financial losses, law enforcement saw it as a "bad business decision" rather than a crime.

If you’re expecting a satisfying takedown, you might leave "Con Mum" feeling frustrated because real life isn’t always fair.

Hornigold, however, has found a way to rebuild.

The film doesn’t just leave him (or you) in despair. It also explores his journey to financial and emotional recovery, showing how he has used therapy and sheer determination to reclaim his life.

However, Hornigold was left emotionally wrecked. As he admitted in the documentary: “If you don’t receive love when you’re a kid, you have this wound you carry around.”

Dionne played on that wound like a master manipulator.

The documentary is harrowing but it’s also an eye-opener. Hornigold, now rebuilding his life in London while Kaniuk and their son live in New Zealand, has used the experience to advocate for mental health awareness.

He credits therapy for helping him recover from both this ordeal and the trauma of his childhood. While "Con Mum" is undeniably heartbreaking, it also leaves viewers with an important lesson: sometimes, the people who claim to love us the most can be the biggest deceivers of all.

If you thought you’d seen it all in the world of scams, "Con Mum" will prove you wrong.

It’s a must-watch that will leave you questioning just how far some people will go to exploit the vulnerabilities of others.

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'Con Mum': a pastry chef's heartbreaking journey through deception and betrayal