Joseph Gibson, 35, has been sentenced to three years and two months in prison for defrauding victims out of £68,000 through romance scams. Gibson fabricated a persona, claiming to be a former member of the Special Boat Service, a multi-millionaire worth £400 million, and a cancer patient undergoing treatment.
Gibson met some of his victims on the dating app Tinder, convincing them of his fabricated life story. He showed them pictures of large houses and luxury items, including yachts, and suggested he was considering purchasing them. In one instance, he falsely claimed to be buying stock for a victim's retail business, leading her to lose over £5,200.
He also told one woman he had cancer, even sending a photograph purportedly taken in a hospital bed. This victim ultimately lost more than £5,200, with her bank account being reduced to just 93 pence by the end of the fraud. Another victim was persuaded to give Gibson £10,000 for investments, with the promise of turning it into £150,000. She later took out a £4,000 loan for his supposed private cancer treatment, leading to significant debt. A relative of this victim also lost over £18,000 through bogus investment deals.
Gibson's final victim was a retired superyacht captain, whom he told he had purchased a £7 million yacht after selling a weapons program to the U.S. government for £400 million. The judge presiding over the case described Gibson's actions as creating 'another Tinder trap' and noted the profound impact on the victims, who lost financial security and trust. One victim stated she was 'broken and exhausted' and had lost all confidence.
Gibson had claimed to have £40,000 in savings to repay his victims, citing work in the engineering industry in the UK, Bulgaria, and Dubai. However, he was unable to raise the full sum and offered £15,000. He requested a further nine-month deferral to repay his victims, proposing to save £5,000 per month. The judge refused this request, citing Gibson's attempts to deceive the court about his financial status.
During the court hearing, Gibson appeared to be shaking. He admitted to four counts of fraud, affecting three women and one man, between July 2020 and October 2021. The judge stated that Gibson would receive minimal sentence reduction for remorse, as he was sorry for his predicament rather than his actions. Gibson will appear for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act in March to recover assets for his victims.