Tinder conman jailed after scamming victims out of nearly £80,000
Joseph Gibson claimed he was a former soldier turned multi-millionaire who had been diagnosed with cancer
Last updated 19 hours ago
A man who defrauded four people out of tens of thousands of pounds by claiming he was a multi-millionaire ex-soldier with cancer has been jailed for three years and two months.
Joseph Gibson met two of his victims on the dating app Tinder, targeted one of their relatives, and conned the former captain of a super-yacht.
The 35-year-old, from Ruthin, Denbighshire, convinced one woman they were in a relationship, and would tell victims he needed money for cancer treatment, despite being rich.
One woman from Devon lost more than £5,000 after believing Gibson's lies, and sent him money to invest in her business.
He was eventually arrested and admitted four counts of fraud, relating to three women and one man, who he conned out of £68,000 between July 2020 and October 2021.
He later pleaded guilty to the charges in court.
The fraudster previously asked a judge at Bristol Crown Court to delay sentencing in his case – claiming he had £40,000 in savings to repay his victims after working in the engineering industry in the UK, Bulgaria and Dubai.
On Thursday, Gibson admitted he had been unable to raise the sum and could only provide £15,000 until more funds became available.
He told Recorder Jaron Crooknorth that he could save £5,000 per month for compensation and asked for his sentence to be deferred for a further nine months to fully repay his victims.
However, the judge refused that request and instead jailed Gibson for three years and two months. The judge also ordered the start of proceedings to recover money gained through his fraud.
Lead investigator Jenny Williams said: “Joseph Gibson is a confident and manipulative man who developed an extensive web of lies for his own personal gain.
"The impact of fraud on victims can often be profound and long-lasting, and those duped by Gibson have been left with significant debt, a loss of trust and the difficult task of rebuilding their lives.
"His deception has left his victims struggling to come to terms with the extent of his dishonesty.
"Even when challenged, Gibson continued to fabricate new lies to conceal the truth. In some cases, his manipulation left victims feeling isolated and unable to discuss what they were experiencing with others.
"I want to recognise the courage and resilience they’ve shown throughout this lengthy and complex investigation. It’s taken several years to reach this point, but they’ve remained engaged and supportive throughout.
“By sharing their experiences and supporting this prosecution, they will give other victims of fraud the confidence to come forward and seek support."