Netflix’s latest documentary, "Con Mum" is the kind of true-crime story that leaves your jaw on the floor and your faith in humanity severely shaken.
It unravels the shocking story of Graham Hornigold, a renowned British pastry chef who falls victim to an elaborate con which is orchestrated by a woman claiming to be his long-lost mother.
This turns into a twisted web of manipulation, deceit and a desperate search for love that ends in financial ruins.
At first glance, Hornigold’s life seemed like a success story. Born in 1974 on a British army base in Germany, his childhood was anything but easy.
He bounced around in foster care before moving to Hertfordshire to live with his father and stepmother.
His father, an ex-army man with a drinking problem and a violent streak, left lasting scars but Hornigold didn’t let his troubled upbringing define him.
By the age of 28, he was already making a name in the culinary world, becoming executive pastry chef at The Lanesborough Hotel, where his work earned prestigious accolades.
Later, he joined the Hakkasan Group, oversaw pastry sections worldwide and even became a judge on "Junior Bake Off" and "MasterChef: The Professionals".
By 2019, he co-founded Longboys, a gourmet doughnut brand that took London by storm.
Then came the email in July 2020. A woman named Dionne reached out, claiming to be his biological mother. The timing couldn’t have been more emotional as Hornigold was about to become a father himself.
He had spent his life not knowing his birth mother and suddenly, here she was, seemingly eager to reconnect.
After confirming details that seemed plausible, he agreed to meet her in Liverpool in the UK and that’s where the deception began.
Dionne, an Asian woman in her 80s, wove an intricate tale of wealth and tragedy. She claimed to be a business tycoon from Singapore, the illegitimate daughter of a former sultan of Brunei and most heartbreakingly, terminally ill with just six months to live.
The emotional whirlwind was instant. Dionne didn’t just play the part of a loving, remorseful mother. She showered Hornigold and his family with gifts, spun elaborate tales of her aristocratic connections and convinced him he would inherit her fortune.
The more invested he became, the deeper the deception ran until his personal and financial life was in ruins.
A long lost mother, or a con for the ages?
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) March 25, 2025
CON MUM is now playing on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/w63qWh5JD3
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.