"HELLO, is this Mr Davies? I spoke to you probably three or four weeks ago. My name's Sima, I'm Miss Desai's relative."
The voice at the end of the telephone was instantly recognisable. Since visiting Neelam Desai's home in Beulah Grove, Selhurst, on March 4, the Advertiser has received numerous phone calls from a woman, on a withheld number, who claimed to be Neelam Desai's cousin.
The caller repeatedly asked when stories were being published and what pages they were going on.
When she called on Tuesday, it was to arrange a time for her "cousin" to come into the office and tell her side of the honeytrap dating scams the Advertiser has exposed.
What she did not know was – believing the person who was calling was not who she appeared – our reporter played a recording of a conversation with her to four men tricked out of money after being contacted on Asian dating website Shaadi.com.
Each of them independently verified that she was the same person they knew variously as Nisha Patel or Rima Vaghela and, as such, was Neelam Desai.
The previous day our reporter had also been able to record a call from 'Rima Vaghela' to 32-year-old Amar, from west London, who was conned out of £17,176 and who has spoken exclusively to the Advertiser this week. The voices are the same.
The following are extracts from Tuesday's phone call. GD is reporter Gareth Davies and ND is Neelam Desai:
GD: "Let's be straight with each other. I know that you are Neelam Desai."
ND: "I am? Why would you think that?"
GD: "Firstly, I have played recordings of our conversations to each of the victims and each has independently verified that you are the person they are speaking to."
ND: "I don't know what you mean, sorry."
GD: "We've spoken on a number of occasions. You have claimed to be a cousin of Neelam Desai. Are you Neelam Desai?"
ND: "No."
The conversation then turns to another piece of evidence. The mobile number given to the Press Complaints Commission by Desai, when she complained about our previous stories, was used hundreds of times in messages both to the man from Southall and two other victims. Desai says her e-mail and phone were hacked.
GD: "Let's stop pretending and just be straight. I've listened to a phone conversation you had, which I know is you because I recognise your voice, in which you called yourself Rima Vaghela."
ND: "That doesn't mean anything."
GD: "It does mean something. You have called this newspaper on dozens of occasions. We have recordings which show you are the same person who is calling these men. You have tricked these men out of tens of thousands of pounds."
ND: "I don't know anything about that. I'm just ringing to arrange an appointment."
Desai's "cousin" says she wants to meet to give her side of the story.
GD: "Why would the cousin of Neelam Desai want to give her side of the story?"
ND: "Because we're family, we're going to help each other. You said last time that you were willing to...
GD: "...hear Neelam's side of the story. Stop pretending and admit it. There's a major police investigation going on."
ND: "If you have all this evidence [why don't you] put it on your website and in your newspaper?
GD: "We will be doing. I was about to send you an e-mail to give you the opportunity, as I have done before, to comment."
ND: "I don't think she has access to her e-mails."
GD: "Let's not talk about yourself in third person. You have basically admitted you are Neelam Desai, which means you have been calling me after telling the police I was harassing you.
"Your victims wonder where all their money is going. Do you owe money? Is that why you are taking money from people?"
ND: "Like I said, she is prepared to give you an interview."
GD: "Well I am asking you for an interview now."
ND: "We're not prepared to answer over the phone."
The conversation turns to 'Rima Vaghela' pretending to raise money for a terminally ill child. Desai denies any involvement in that, or any of the Shaadi.com frauds. She then claims there are other people involved in the crimes she has been convicted of...
ND: "I've been told by my family not to tell you anything because we're very worried that there are certain people out there who have got away with doing all this stuff. My mum or myself could be dead."
GD: "We need to start off with honesty – are you Neelam Desai?"
ND: "I don't know what to do. It's not me who has done this. I don't know who is doing it."
GD: "If there are other people involved I am willing to try and help but you need to be honest."
ND: "How can you help when the police aren't doing anything about it and you're writing all this stuff about me?"
GD: "The only evidence I have is that you are orchestrating all of this."
ND: "I've not done it. I have pleaded guilty for what I am going to court for next week. I can't run away from that. All I want to do is do the right thing."
GD: "I have extensive evidence that you have been continuing to offend while on bail."
ND: "I haven't done any of that. I've reported it myself. I can't give our names over the phone. I'm very scared. I'm scared for my life."
Asked to elaborate, Desai refuses. All she will say is a "gang of men" made her do the things she has already pleaded guilty to. Again she denies the Shaadi allegations.
ND: "At the end of the day, I'm a criminal, so no matter what I say it's not going to help. If the police are investigating then I am sure they will find out.
"I can't put my mum's life at risk. These people will kill my mum. They are not good people and that's what will happen."
The Advertiser put these allegations to the Met and a spokesman said police were not looking for anyone else in connection with the series of frauds Desai is due to be sentenced for next Friday (April 25).
He added that Desai had reported receiving malicious communications via phone and letter last April.
A spokesman said: "No suspects were identified or arrested.
"The victim was advised on action to take should the communication continue."
Meanwhile, Desai says she will come into our office for a full interview on TuesdayListen to the full interview below
