Tinder conman who claimed he was a millionaire jailed for taking £68,000 from victims

Joseph Gibson, 35, of Penbryn Nant in Ruthin, Denbighshire, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to four counts of fraud by false representation. The court heard that Gibson told his victims he had served in the Special Boat Service, was a multimillionaire and owned yachts. He extracted roughly £68,000 from four people, two of whom he had met on the dating app Tinder. One victim said she was persuaded to send Gibson money for business opportunities, hospital expenses and online trading. She lost more than £5,600 and described suffering “anxiety and affectional distress.” Another victim, identified only as SC, handed over more than £30,000 after Gibson claimed he could generate significant returns through investments and trading. She recovered about £9,700, leaving a loss of £21,000, and said she had been left “heavily in debt.” A third victim, JH, invested on the basis of Gibson’s assertion that he was a successful businessman. She gave him £28,000 and received £10,000 back, stating that the episode had affected her relationships with her children. The fourth victim, a retired ace yacht skipper known as PH, invested £23,350 and said he had suffered a “severe” affectional impact. A further hearing will be arranged to determine how Gibson can repay his victims.