A former model who turned into a romance scam artist defrauded multiple men of substantial amounts of money to support her lavish lifestyle. Gemma Kingsley, aged 50, engaged in a four-year scheme where she deceived several victims into relationships by falsely claiming she would inherit a significant fortune.
Under false pretenses, Kingsley coerced the victims into spending large sums of money on her, including funds for a planned wedding. She resorted to theft and the use of fraudulent bank card details to cover expenses like luxury hotel stays. Hailing from Beadnell, Northumberland, the model has admitted guilt to over a dozen charges of theft and fraud.
Wiltshire Police revealed that in 2019, they were alerted to Kingsley’s fraudulent use of a family friend’s bank account to pay for accommodations at Cromhall Farm near Chippenham. An investigation ensued, uncovering a pattern where Kingsley, between January 2016 and January 2018, deceived a victim into believing she would inherit a multimillion-pound sum, even presenting forged documents as evidence.
Court records indicate Kingsley duped the victim into thinking she was set to receive a £42 million inheritance from her grandfather, with a solicitor affirming a £16 million payout. Consequently, the victim spent tens of thousands on various expenses, expecting reimbursement from the inheritance. However, Kingsley misused his bank cards for personal gain, causing the victim to incur substantial losses exceeding £100,000.
Following the dissolution of this relationship in 2018, Kingsley engaged in a similar deception with another victim in 2019, misleading him about a fictitious inheritance. This victim, too, fell prey to financial exploitation, contributing to purchases like luxury vehicles and upscale hotel stays. Additionally, Kingsley exploited two other brief relationships later in 2019, using the victims’ bank cards without their knowledge to make unauthorized purchases.
Despite facing multiple charges, Kingsley evaded court appearances until her arrest on the Isle of Skye in June of the previous year for speeding. At Swindon Crown Court, Kingsley pleaded guilty to six counts of theft, four counts of fraud by false representation, two counts of using false instruments, and one count of possessing an article for fraudulent purposes. She has been remanded in custody pending sentencing on March 25.
Detective Constable Melissa Pope of the Wiltshire Police fraud unit remarked on Kingsley’s manipulative tactics, causing emotional distress and severe financial harm to her victims. Pope emphasized the significant impact on the victims, who suffered not only financial losses but also emotional trauma due to Kingsley’s deceitful conduct. Pope expressed hope for the victims to recover from this distressing experience now that Kingsley has admitted to the charges against her.
