Catfished pensioner stole £14,500 from own mother for romantic scam

A pensioner who was catfished and duped into a romantic scam by someone claiming to be a UN Navy captain embezzled thousands of pounds from her own mother to fund it.

Maureen Gunn, 66, believed she had made contact with the captain, called Joshua Jacob, and started up what she thought was a romantic relationship after meeting him on social media.

Gunn, from Tranent, East Lothian, was sent images of the man she believed to be her boyfriend and began sending him cash after he claimed his funds were tied up in offshore accounts.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the widow had sent around £50,000 - even though she had never met the scammer in person.

But she was spared jail by a judge today due to her age and 'attitude towards the crime' - a decision slammed by relatives who said she had 'torn apart' their family. 

After first sending money to the scammer Gunn soon ran out of funds and began taking cash from her 89-year old mother Jane Marr's bank account. 

The court heard Gunn made numerous cash withdrawals from her mother's Royal Bank of Scotland account as well as a bank transfer of £4,250 which was all sent to the online scammer.

Prosecutor Bruce McCrossan told the court Gunn was the primary carer for her mother and had power of attorney over her welfare.

The fiscal depute said the OAP was given access to Mrs Marr's debit card and PIN number in 2019 and would make withdrawals to pay for her clothing and food.

The court was told over the next three years Gunn began making 'unauthorised cash withdrawals' and made one large bank transfer into her own bank account.

Family members eventually became suspicious and contacted the bank to check on the account's activity.

The family discovered Gunn had been taking around £6,000 per year more than was allowed and contacted the police.

Officers attended Gunn's home and arrested her in January this year.

During a subsequent police interview Gunn admitted making the bank transfer and cash withdrawals from her mother's account without permission.

The court was told Gunn had lost her husband in 2012 and had suffered from depression and received medication from her GP.

Her lawyer said she met the 'captain' on Facebook in 2019 and over the following four years she was 'effectively scammed out of £50,000'.

Gunn was said to have 'foolishly' sold her car, items of jewellery and taken out loans to send cash to her online suitor.

The court was told she has now been 'ostracised by her family' and is 'aware of the gravity of the offences' she has committed.

Gunn pleaded guilty to embezzling £14,521.60 while acting as primary carer of Jane Marr between September 1, 2020 and July 31 last year when she appeared at the capital court today.

Sheriff John Cook said: 'This was an appalling breach of trust towards your mother given the caring responsibility that you had in respect of her.

'The court therefore does require to consider a custodial sentence but having regard to your age and attitude to your conviction I will not be imposing custody today.'

Gunn was placed on a supervision order for three years and told she must carry out 140 hours of unpaid work in the community as an alternative to custody.

Sheriff Cook also imposed a compensation requirement for the sum of £14,521.60 which will be paid a rate of £150 per month.

Outside court Gunn's brother David Marr, 68, said his family has been 'ripped apart' by his sister's crime and he had hoped to see her jailed for committing the offence.

Mr Marr, from Edinburgh, said: 'She's a silly old woman for believing this guy online. We all told her it was a scam but she continued to send him money.

'The scammer told her he was a UN Navy captain called Joshua Jacob and lived in Syria but I kept telling her the UN does not have a navy so it must be a fraud.

'The guy said he was 61-years-old and was sending her pictures of himself but it was obvious they were fakes.

'She has really split the family up by what she has done.'