Welsh conman who faked cancer and £400m fortune jailed

Nation.Cymru staff/agencies

A Welsh conman who claimed to be a £400 million multi-millionaire and former special forces soldier has been jailed after swindling four people out of £68,000.

Joseph Gibson, 35, of Ruthin, Denbighshire, spun an elaborate web of lies which included claims that he had served in the Special Boat Service, owned luxury homes, yachts and helicopters and was undergoing treatment for cancer.

He met two of his victims through Tinder and convinced one they were in a relationship, while others were persuaded to hand over money for bogus investments.

Gibson admitted four counts of fraud relating to three women and one man between July 2020 and October 2021 and was sentenced to three years and two months at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday.

He had previously asked a judge to delay sentencing, claiming he had £40,000 in savings to repay his victims after working in the engineering industry in the UK, Bulgaria and Dubai.

But on Thursday, Gibson admitted he had been unable to raise the sum and could provide only £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.

The judge refused and ordered the start of proceedings to recover money gained through his fraud.

“Joseph Gibson, you are simply a fraudster,” the judge told him.

“It has taken years for you to admit that.

“Pity those who have had the misfortune to have you come into their lives, prey on their affections, steal their money, steal their goals and fracture their relationships.”

The judge said Gibson had been of previous good character and admitted his offending, albeit shortly before his trial.

He added that the defendant would get “very little” reduction in his sentence for remorse.

“You are sorry for the position you have found yourself in,” the judge said.

“You have tried to persuade this court that you have more money than you have. You have not shown evidence of that money to me.

“You have sought to deceive this court into believing that you had it.”

The court heard how Gibson met two of his victims on Tinder and convinced one of them they were in a relationship.

He showed them pictures of large houses and claimed he was thinking of buying them.

Gibson told his victims that he had cancer, had served in the Special Boat Service and had been blown up by an improvised explosive device (IED) – claims the judge described as “total fantasy”.

Text messages

In text messages released following the case, Gibson claimed he had homes in Sandbanks, Bath, Dubai, Singapore and Mayfair in London, as well as 21 rental properties.

He wrote: “Mate I have everything I want I have amazing houses cars boats helicopters.”

Gibson also claimed to have made £1.1 million through financial trading, adding: “I am trading a 5 million account on my phone from a hospital bed.”

In one exchange, he asked a victim about their preference for clothing and shoe brands.

After being asked the spending limit, Gibson replied: “Haha can I let you into a little secret I think we know you well enough and I can trust you now but please do not repeat it it’s not in a bragging and showing off way I’m pretty humble… In January I was valued at 440m if you need me.”

His first victim, a Devon-based businesswoman, lost more than £5,200 after believing his lies and handing over money for him to purchase stock for her retail business.

In August 2020, Gibson told the woman – whom he had met on Tinder – that he had cancer and sent her a photograph of himself purportedly in a hospital bed.

By the end of his fraud, the woman had just 93p left in her bank account.

‘Tinder trap’

The judge described Gibson’s second victim as “another Tinder trap” in which he based himself on Mr Grey from the Fifty Shades Of Grey film.

Gibson discovered the woman had £10,000 in savings and convinced her to send it to him for investing, claiming he could turn it into £150,000.

In 2021, the woman took out a £4,000 loan after Gibson claimed he urgently needed money for private cancer treatment.

She was later forced to take out an individual voluntary agreement to manage her debts.

“She is broken and exhausted,” the judge told Gibson. “She has lost all confidence and trust.”

The third victim was a relative of the second victim and took out loans to invest in Gibson’s bogus investment deals. In total, she lost more than £18,000.

“She begged for her money back,” the judge told Gibson.

Gibson’s final victim was a retired superyacht captain, who the defendant told he had purchased a £7 million yacht after selling a weapons programme to the US government for £400 million.

The man described how he was driven to tears writing his victim personal statement and detailed the impact Gibson’s offending had had on him.

“His dream of travelling around the world with his wife has gone,” the judge said.

Gibson appeared to be shaking throughout the court hearing.

He will next appear for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act in March, when efforts will be made to recover assets to repay his victims.

‘Manipulative’

Speaking after the case, lead investigator Jenny Williams, of Avon and Somerset Police, 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.”

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