Woman jailed over £118,000 property scam

An East Herts woman has been jailed after defrauding a former neighbour out of more than £100,000 in a Spanish property scam.

Margarita Clark, aged 72, was sentenced to 43 months imprisonment at St Albans Crown Court on Friday 13 September, after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation.

In 2018, Clark befriended a woman aged in her 70s who had moved to the area after her husband passed away.

The pair became close, regularly meeting for coffee and lunch.

Following a discussion about savings, Clark fabricated a story about purchasing property in Spain and offered the victim a chance to invest, in exchange for a cut of the interest.

Over the next two years Clark continued to make up bogus property stories to acquire further cash from the victim, totalling around £118,000. She purchased high end clothing items, a new car and even persuaded the victim to pay for a lavish trip to Dubai.

In October 2020, police were contacted by a family member, raising concerns that the victim had been scammed.

A Google search by the family had revealed that Clark had been jailed for 40 months back in 2014, after conning friends out of £2.5million.

An extensive and complex investigation was subsequently launched by the East Herts Local Crime Unit, with support from specialist fraud officers.

As a result, Clark, of Fourways in Bayford, was charged in September 2023 and the case proceeded through the courts.

Detective Constable Emma Cozens, who led the investigation, said: “Clark is a cold and calculating individual. She took advantage of her victim, who was grieving the loss of her husband and had only recently moved to the area.

“The victim genuinely believed she had made a close friend and was left shocked and heartbroken when the truth was discovered. I’m pleased that Clark is now behind bars.”

She continued: “Discovering you’ve been a victim of fraud can have a devastating impact. Many people are too worried or embarrassed to report what has happened to them. If you think you may have been approached in similar circumstances, please do contact police. We take all reports seriously and have specialist teams on hand to help.”

You can report information online, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form.