Romance fraudster pleads guilty to 13 offences
50-year-old Gemma Kingsley tricked several men into relationships with her convincing them she would inherit a large fortune
Last updated 5th Feb 2026
A romance fraudster from Northumberland who conned men into spending tens of thousands of pounds has pleaded guilty to more than a dozen counts of theft and fraud.
Gemma Kingsley, a 50-year-old model from Beadnell, pleaded guilty to 13 charges after initially being investigated for using fraudulent bank details in Wiltshire.
Kingsley has been remanded into custody and awaits sentencing on 25th March.
Police say Kingsley, a model, tricked several men into relationships with her, convincing them she was soon to inherit a large fortune.
This led them to spend large sums of money on her, including on a planned wedding.
She sometimes stole or used false bank card details to pay thousands of pounds for hotel stays.
Investigation into Kingsley's fraud
The investigation began in 2019, following a report to Wiltshire Police that Kingsley fraudulently used the bank details of her mother’s friend for a stay at Cromhall Farm near Chippenham.
The case expanded, leading Wiltshire Police to take control of a number of concurrent investigations into Kingsley from other forces, including cases of romance fraud dating back to 2016.
It was found that between January 2016 and January 2018, Kingsley was in a relationship with the victim during which she informed him she was due to receive a multi-million-pound inheritance, producing forged letters from professionals as proof.
As a result, the victim spent tens of thousands of pounds on furniture for a new home, dental bills, her debts and a payment for a wedding which didn’t happen on the assumption he would soon be reimbursed through the inheritance.
She also repeatedly used his bank cards to steal money and opened a betting account in his name.
After the relationship ended in 2018, Kingsley started another a relationship with another victim in 2019, again misleading him into believing she was about to inherit a large fortune and receiving help for deposits for a Land Rover and a Porsche, as well as expensive hotel stays for which they had no means to pay.
In Autumn 2019, she repeated her fraud with two others, again repeatedly using the victims’ personal and company bank cards to make purchases without their knowledge.
Wiltshire police's investigation also found Kingsley had committed theft and fraud against numerous other victims, including solicitor’s firms, lawyers and a bank, by falsifying documents and letters.
Legal proceedings
Kingsley was first questioned in May 2020, denying involvement and claiming to be the victim herself.
Efforts to re-interview her from January 2021 were unsuccessful until her second arrest in Bristol in August 2022, she again denied the offenses.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against Kingsley in March 2025.
In May 2025, authorities discovered Kingsley was now living in a remote cottage in the Scottish Highlands, where she was personally served the summons to attend Swindon Magistrates’ Court on June 18th.
She missed her court appearance in June, claiming ignorance of the charges.
A warrant was issued for her arrest, and on June 29th a car she was travelling in on the Isle of Skye was stopped by officers from Police Scotland after it had been spotted speeding.
She was arrested and then remanded into custody.
Yesterday at Swindon Crown Court (4th February), she admitted to six counts of theft, four counts of fraud by false representation, two counts of using a false instrument with intent that it will be accepted as genuine, and one count of being in possession of an article for use in fraud.
DC Melissa Pope, from our Fraud team, said: “Kingsley wove a web of lies with her victims, causing significant emotional anxiety and long-term mental and financial harm.
“She manipulated their emotions, assuring them that through her future inheritance she would be able to repay the considerable sums of money that they were spending on her behalf.
“For one of the victims, an expensive wedding which had been planned, for which the victim’s relatives had booked to come from Australia, was cancelled at short notice.
“Following the launch of our investigation, Kingsley delayed the court process, denying what she had done until the final moment before a trial would be arranged.
“She lied continuously through the investigation, giving false statements and communicating various health issues as to why she shouldn’t face charges.
“I’m pleased she has finally admitted the romance fraud charges against her, as well as a number of other fraud and theft offences relating to other victims. I hope that her victims can now start to move on from this experience.
“I want to highlight that for romance fraud cases like Kingsley’s, while there are significant financial losses, it is often the emotional impact on the victims that has a more lasting impact.
“It is a huge breach of trust and self-esteem which can take years to recover from.
“If you suspect that you have been caught in a romance scam, please recognise that you are a victim and there is no need to feel ashamed or embarrassed.
“Please report it to the police or Report Fraud and keep a record of your interactions and documentation.”