Joseph Gibson, a 35-year-old conman who met victims on dating apps and faked cancer treatment, has been jailed for three years and two months. A judge at Bristol Crown Court described him as "simply a fraudster".
Gibson preyed on three women and one man he met on Tinder between July 2020 and October 2021, swindling them out of a total of £68,000. He claimed to be a multi-millionaire with a net worth of £400m, owning yachts, cars, and having served in the Special Boat Service.
Web of lies and deception
Gibson told victims he had cancer and was undergoing treatment, sending one victim a photograph of himself purportedly in a hospital bed. He showed them pictures of large houses and claimed he was thinking of buying them. In text messages, Gibson claimed he had homes in Sandbanks, Bath, Dubai, Singapore and Mayfair, 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".
Impact on victims
Gibson's first victim, a Devon-based businesswoman, lost more than £5,200 after handing over money for him to purchase stock for her retail business. By the end of his fraud, she had just 93p left in her bank account.
His second victim, described by the judge as "another Tinder trap", had £10,000 in savings. Gibson convinced her to send it to him for investing, claiming he could turn it into £150,000. In 2021, she took out a £4,000 loan as 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, a relative of the second, lost more than £18,000 after taking out loans to invest in Gibson's bogus investment deals. "She begged for her money back," the judge said.
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. "His dream of travelling around the world with his wife has gone," the judge said.
Sentencing and recovery proceedings
Gibson, of Ruthin, Denbighshire, asked the judge to delay sentencing, claiming he had £40,000 in savings to repay his victims after working in the engineering industry. He admitted he could only provide £15,000 and asked for a nine-month deferral to fully repay his victims. The judge refused and jailed him for three years and two months, also ordering 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."
Gibson will next appear for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act in March. 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."
