'Career' romance fraudster jailed after conning women out of £320,000
A 'career fraudster' who romanced several women online in order to scam them out of more than £320,000 has been jailed for 12 years.
Emmanuel Scotts, 55, enticed his victims to invest savings and would return small sums as interest to convince them to keep giving.
He met them on an online dating site and one woman paid £232,969 which Scotts used to fund his lifestyle.
After a two-month trial at Kingston Crown Court he was jailed for 12 years where he was found guilty of four counts of fraud and described as a "career fraudster".
He also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing articles used in fraud and was sentenced.
Acting Detective Chief Inspector David Vint, from the City of London Police, said: "Scotts callously targeted innocent people with romance scams to fund his lifestyle, having no regard for the emotional, psychological and financial impact it would have on them.
"Our officers carried out a tenacious investigation and were able to identify Scotts as the perpetrator and secure charges against him. This is a stark warning to romance fraudsters: we will find you and ensure you are brought to justice.
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"We would always urge the public to follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign and always avoid sending money to someone you’ve never met in person, particularly if you have only recently met online."
Scotts was arrested following an investigation by the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) which found he had taken a total of £324,083.
Detective Inspector Andrew Little, from the DCPCU, said: "Scotts preyed on the emotions of his victims to gain their trust and several victims genuinely believed they were in a meaningful relationship with him.
"Romance fraud is a despicable crime and we hope that the sentence handed down goes some way to helping the victims rebuild their lives and relationships with others."
