Viewers of Netflix's Con Mum have been wondering if Graham's mum, Dionne, will ever be held to account for her alleged crimes – and now, there's been a major update. Dionne Hanna (also known as Dionne Hornigold) has been charged with five counts of fraud by police in Singapore.
Reports say three people allegedly recognised Dionne, who is now 84, in the documentary and reported that they too had been duped by her.
The three people are said to claim that Dionne span them a similar tale to the one she told her estranged son, Graham: that she is an illegitimate daughter of the Sultan of Brunei, is extremely wealthy but having issues accessing her funds, and that she's terminally ill with cancer. In Con Mum, Graham details how reconnecting with Dionne after more than 40 years left him with debt worth £300,000 as she guilt tripped him into covering the costs of her champagne lifestyle, believing she was dying from cancer and having difficulties withdrawing money from her bank account due to the pandemic.
In the documentary, Graham says he was unable to legally pursue a case against Dionne due to their familial ties meaning her alleged fraud is not recognised in the eyes of the law.
Con Mum's Dionne has been arrested
Police in Singapore say they received multiple reports regarding Dionne since Con Mum aired on Netflix and that she now stands accused of scamming three people out of more than £100,000.
Dionne allegedly tricked victims into thinking they were investing in promising businesses that she claimed to own and into thinking she would repay them any money they fronted at her request. The deceit apparently took place in both Singapore and France.
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"As part of the arrangement to receive monies for the investment and inheritance, the victims were asked to transfer money for legal fees and opening of overseas bank accounts," police said, via The Telegraph. "The victims believed her investment and release of inheritance to be genuine and made several transfers to her."
Dionne appeared in court via video link on 5 April 2025 and is reported to have been dialling in from a hospital bed for the call. It's not known why she is in hospital.
What happens now?
Dionne is next due to appear in court on 11 April and if she is found guilty of the five counts of fraud, she could face up to 20 years in prison and be ordered to pay a large fine.
Given Dionne is currently 84 years old, so if given a 20-year sentence it's likely she will die in prison.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
