Conman who told victims he had cancer and served in special forces jailed

A conman who defrauded victims out of £68,000 by claiming he had cancer and served in the special forces, among other lies, has been jailed.

Joseph Gibson, 35, from Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales, pleaded guilty to four charges of fraud by false representation earlier this year.

The offences occurred between July 2020 and October 2021. He met two of his victims on Tinder and convinced one of them that they were in a relationship together.

Bristol Crown Court heard that he lied about having cancer, being in the special forces, owning luxury yachts and cars, and being worth £400m to manipulate his victims into paying him.

The court heard that in total Gibson conned his four victims - three women and one man - out of £68,000.

'Simply a fraudster'

At Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, he was sentenced to three years and two months in prison.

Handing sentence, the judge said: "Joseph Gibson, you are simply a fraudster. 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 also said that Gibson's claims were "total fantasy," and left some of his victims "broken and exhausted".

Woman had 93p left

His first victim, a Devon-based businesswoman, lost over £5,200, handing over money across four months to him to purchase stock for her retail business.

In August 2020, Gibson told the woman - who he had met on Tinder - that he had cancer and even 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.

Woman and relative defrauded

His second victim, who he also met on Tinder, was convinced by Gibson to send £10,000 after he claimed he could turn it into £150,000 through investing.

She also took out a £4,000 loan as Gibson claimed he urgently needed money for private cancer treatment in 2021, and was later forced to take out an individual voluntary agreement to manage her debts.

He also defrauded the second victim's relative out of more than £18,000, and targeted a retired superyacht captain by claiming he sold a weapons programme for the US government to buy a boat.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary lead investigator Jenny Williams said in a statement that 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," she added.

"Even when challenged, Gibson continued to fabricate new lies to conceal the truth. In some cases, his manipulation left victims feeling isolated and unable to discuss what they were experiencing with others."

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Gibson lied about repaying victims

Gibson's sentencing was adjourned until August as he claimed he had £40,000 to repay his victims. He admitted on Thursday he had been unable to raise the sum and could only provide £15,000.

The judge then 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."

Gibson will next appear for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act, to recover his assets to repay his victims, in March.

(c) Sky News 2026: Conman who told victims he had cancer and served in special forces jailed