Gemma Kingsley
The case highlights the dangers of online scams involving people like Gemma Kingsley. Wiltshire Police photo

A female model identified as Gemma Kingsley will be spending the next couple of years behind bars for defrauding several men. This was after the 50-year-old was handed a seven-year sentence and seven months in prison by the Swindon Crown Court on Wednesday, 25 March.

According to Sky News, Kingsley cheated multiple men of money through dating sites. She used her beauty and charm to get the attention of men, mostly divorcees, who would eventually fall in love with her.

Her plot was ingenious. To avoid making it look like she was after the money of her victims, Kingsley claimed she was due to inherit millions. This helped men downplay the notion that Kingsley was just after their money.

Victims Fall To Kingsley's Web of Deception

Convinced, some men felt she was good for the money. In fact there was one case where a victim lost more than £125,000, believing that he and Kingsley were set to get married.

'They didn't want to believe that her stories were the stuff of fantasy, even when they were being confronted with reality,' prosecutor Barry McElduff KC shared.

That heartless episode did not stop Kingsley from targeting more men who would fall to her web of lies. She moved on to another unnamed male, using the same story, claiming she would get as much as £80m from a relative's will.

The outcome was practically the same. The 50-year-old ended up conning this other man of £30,000 and even claimed she was allegedly pregnant with twins.

After learning the truth, one of the victims spoke in court, revealing how Kingsley mercilessly broke him. It was not mentioned who between the two victims made the following statements in a report by BBC.

'I am still struggling to come to terms with what Gemma did to me,' the unidentified male victim said. 'I am suffering from crippling anxiety. I am trying to rebuild my life but I feel used and manipulated. I feel violated and betrayed,' he added.

Kingsley Lavish Lifestyle Built on Fraud

In her desire to maintain her lavish lifestyle, Kingsley did not solely rely on conning men of their money. In fact, there was also a case where she stole or used falsified bank card details to pay for expensive hotel stays.

However, it appears this signalled her downfall. A probe by the Wiltshire Police started in 2019 after receiving a report that Kingsley had used the bank details of her mother's friend to pay for a stay at the Cromhall Farm near Chippenham.

After getting word of that case, other forces would link it with past but concurrent cases involving Kingsley. That included romance fraud that dated back to 2016.

With her modus exposed, Kingsley pleaded guilty in February to multiple charges filed against her. According to the Wiltshire Police, these were:

  • 6 counts of theft
  • 4 counts of fraud by false representation
  • 2 counts of using a false instrument with intent that it will be accepted as genuine
  • 1 count of being in possession of an article for use in fraud

Judge Jason Taylor KC did not mince words when the sentence to Kingsley was handed down.

'You are a conwoman who traded on her good looks to ensnare your victims,' Taylor said. 'Your greed was insatiable. Your duplicity and brass neck is staggering. You were a well-spoken, educated and glamorous serial fraudster.'

Kingsley's jail sentence may have put an end to her swindling ways. However, it remains that the damage had been done. It was not entirely about the money lost but also the emotional distress she caused to men who bought into her made-up story.

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