Serial con artist Samantha Azzopardi is believed to have had more than 75 aliases across Ireland, Canada and Australia over the past two decades.
Her false identities have tricked families, the authorities and new friends along the way. Some of her most notable personas are French talent scout ‘Coco’, schoolgirl ‘Harper’, and a vulnerable teen ‘Emily’.
But in reality, the serial imposter’s full name is Samantha Lyndell Azzopardi and she was born in August 1988 in Campbelltown, NSW.
Despite posing as a teenager in the not so distant past, she is in fact a 36-year-old woman.
Her extensive history of elaborate cons and frauds usually involve her portraying herself as a distressed teen, and psychologists who have studied Azzopardi’s behaviour over the years conclude she is a compulsive liar, has borderline personality disorder, and trauma and attachment issues.
Interestingly, her crimes often don’t appear to start with the intention to swindle people out of their finances, but are more about seeking their attention, their sympathy and their support.
This poses the question… is Samantha a criminal or a victim?
What feels certain though is that there is no stopping Samantha and her quest to con, despite a mammoth number of convictions.
Timeline of Samantha Azzopardi’s notoriety
- 2007 (age 19, Rockhampton, Queensland)
Samantha first attracted police attention when she attempted to defraud by claiming to be Lindsay-Lana Jonbenet Coughlan. - 2010 (age 22, Brisbane)
She attempted to enrol at a high school under the alias Dakota Johnson – the name of the popular American actress who is now famous for her role in Fifty Shades of Grey. - October 2013 (age 25, Dublin, Ireland)
Samantha was found wandering near Dublin’s General Post Office and appeared traumatised and non-communicative. She identified herself as a 14-year-old and police later assumed she was a sex trafficking victim. She was dubbed the “GPO Girl” by the media. After an international police appeal and investigation costing over €200,000, her true identity as Samantha Azzopardi, an Australian woman, was revealed. This incident drew international media attention. - September 2014 (age 26, Calgary, Canada)
Using the alias Aurora Hepburn, Samantha entered a Calgary women’s shelter claiming to be a 14-year-old trafficking victim who had escaped abuse. She was convicted of public mischief, served a few months in prison, and was deported to Australia. - Late 2016 – March 2017 (age 28, Marrickville, Sydney)
The con artist enrolled at Good Shepherd School in Sydney’s inner west posing as Harper Hart, a 13-year-old girl. Her deception was uncovered, leading to criminal charges. She was sentenced to one year in jail. - October 2019 (age 31, Melbourne)
Posing as a schoolgirl, Samantha took two children she’d been taking care of as their au pair to a mental health unit, alleging she had been impregnated by her abusive uncle. She was later convicted of child stealing and sentenced to two years imprisonment, with a minimum of 12 months to be served. - August 2023 – October 2024 (age 34–35, Melbourne)
Samantha portrayed herself as a sex-trafficked Belgian teenager seeking help. She approached charities, social workers, and domestic violence organisations, receiving around $20,000 in financial aid, housing, and support services. Her claims were fabricated. Arrested soon after, she pleaded guilty to fraud and deception charges and was sentenced to two years’ jail in October 2024. - February 2025
Azzopardi abandoned an appeal against her sentence following a judge’s warning that continued legal action could lead to harsher penalties. - 2025 (current status)
She remains incarcerated at Victoria’s Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. During her imprisonment, she attracted media attention for her unusual relationship with ex-principal and convicted paedophile Malka Leifer, with another inmate claiming that the pair write to each other and were seen to kiss.
Where is Samantha Azzopardi now?
The woman’s shocking and complex story is one of compulsive deceit and psychological trauma.
Over more than a decade, she’s carved a notorious path across the world, scamming aid services and vulnerable families, and drawing international police attention.
While courts have both imprisoned and diagnosed her, a forensic psychiatrist’s findings suggest a deeply rooted mental health condition underpinning her compulsions.
Her story has been explored in the documentary Con Girl, which was released in 2023, and the RTÉ podcast series Finding Samantha, sparking debate over fraud and mental illness.
As of early 2025, Samantha Azzopardi remains incarcerated at Victoria’s Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. Her time in jail is due to end in October 2026 but she is currently eligible for parole.
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