Romance fraudster’s ‘internet of lies’ as one man shells out 1000’s for faux marriage ceremony
Model Gemma Kingsley, 50, spent four years conning several men out of tens of thousands of pounds to bankroll a lavish lifestyle – including a planned wedding that never took place
She fleeced her victims out of tens of thousands of pounds
A female fraudster who specialised in romance scams swindled several men out of tens of thousands of pounds to fund her extravagant lifestyle, including a planned wedding.
Gemma Kingsley, 50, a model, spent four years spinning “a web of lies” and ensnaring men into bogus relationships, the court was told.
Kingsley would convince them that she was on the brink of inheriting a substantial fortune – a ruse she used to manipulate them into splashing out large amounts on her behalf, including for a proposed wedding.
On other occasions, she either stole or used counterfeit bank card details to foot the bill for hotel stays amounting to thousands of pounds.
In a court hearing on Wednesday (04/02) at Swindon Crown Court, Kingsley, from Beadnell, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to six counts of theft, four counts of fraud by false representation, two counts of using a false instrument with intent that it will be accepted as genuine and one count of being in possession of an article for use in fraud.
She was remanded in custody and is set to be sentenced on March 25.
In 2019, Wiltshire Police received a report that Kingsley had illicitly used the bank details of a friend of her mother’s to pay for a stay at Cromhall Farm near Chippenham.
This triggered an investigation, and several ongoing investigations into Kingsley from other police forces were handed over to the Wiltshire Police Fraud team to pursue, including significant cases of romance fraud dating back to 2016.
The probe revealed that from January 2016 to January 2018, Kingsley was romantically involved with the victim, during which time she convinced him she was set to receive a multi-million-pound inheritance, presenting falsified correspondence from professionals as evidence.
Consequently, the victim splashed out tens of thousands of pounds on furnishings for a new property, dental treatment, settling her debts, and wedding expenses for a ceremony that never materialised, believing he would shortly be repaid through the inheritance windfall.
She also persistently misused his bank cards to pilfer money and established a gambling account under his identity, depositing substantial sums of his cash which she subsequently squandered through betting.
After this relationship collapsed in 2018, Kingsley embarked on another romance the following year with a fresh victim, once again deceiving him into believing she was on the brink of inheriting substantial wealth.
This led him to help with sizeable deposits for a Land Rover and a Porsche, plus costly hotel accommodation for which they lacked the funds to settle.
The victim also accumulated considerable debt through her unauthorised use of his bank cards.
During two additional fleeting relationships in autumn 2019, Kingsley repeatedly exploited the victims’ personal and business bank cards to make unauthorised purchases.
The police inquiry also uncovered that Kingsley had perpetrated theft and fraud against countless other victims, including legal firms, barristers and a financial institution, through the creation of bogus documents and correspondence. Kingsley was initially questioned about the charges in May 2020, during which she refuted all allegations and portrayed herself as the victim.
From January 2021 onwards, officers made repeated attempts to conduct a second interview but were unable to establish contact with her.
She was finally traced to an address in Bristol in August 2022, where she was detained for a second time.
Once again, she rejected the accusations.
Officers from Wiltshire Police’s Fraud unit continued assembling the case file, and in March 2025 the Crown Prosecution Service approved charges against Kingsley.
In May 2025, we discovered that Kingsley was residing in an isolated cottage in the Scottish Highlands, where she was personally served with the summons to appear at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on June 18.
She failed to appear, alleging she was unaware of the charges against her.
An arrest warrant was issued, and on June 29th a vehicle she was travelling in on the Isle of Skye was pulled over by Police Scotland officers after being spotted exceeding the speed limit.
She was detained and subsequently held in custody.
Following several months of postponing court appearances, she admitted guilt to 13 charges brought against her.
DC Melissa Pope, from the Fraud unit, commented: “Kingsley wove a web of lies with her victims, causing significant emotional anxiety and long-term mental and financial harm.
“She manipulated their emotions, assuring them that through her future inheritance she would be able to repay the considerable sums of money that they were spending on her behalf.
“For one of the victims, an expensive wedding which had been planned, for which the victim’s relatives had booked to come from Australia, was cancelled at short notice.
“Following the launch of our investigation, Kingsley delayed the court process, denying what she had done until the final moment before a trial would be arranged.
“She lied continuously through the investigation, giving false statements and communicating various health issues as to why she shouldn’t face charges.
“I’m pleased she has finally admitted the romance fraud charges against her, as well as a number of other fraud and theft offences relating to other victims. I hope that her victims can now start to move on from this traumatic experience.
“I want to highlight that for romance fraud cases like Kingsley’s, while there are significant financial losses, it is often the emotional impact on the victims that has a more lasting impact.
“It is a huge breach of trust and self-esteem which can take years to recover from.
“If you suspect that you have been caught in a romance scam, please recognise that you are a victim and there is no need to feel ashamed or embarrassed.
“Please report it to the police or Report Fraud and keep a record of your interactions and documentation.”
