Maidstone fraudster duped elderly victims out of £160,000 to fund gambling habit

A fraudster who conned elderly people out of £160,000 to fund his gambling habit has been jailed.

In 2015, Max Evans, 30, persuaded someone he knew to give him access to their money which he claimed he would move to a savings account so it could accrue interest.

Evans received nearly £79,000 over a period of five years but instead of investing it for the victim, he used it entirely for the purpose of gambling.

He used the same scam to dishonestly receive £35,000 from an elderly relative between 2017 and 2021. This money was also lost on making losing bets with bookmakers.

Evans was caught after the first victim started to have difficulty paying their bills.

They suspected that he had been acting dishonestly and contacted Kent Police.

Investigators examined Evans' financial and phone records and a third victim was identified as having transferred a large amount of money to him.

This had been loaned after he told them that he had rent arrears and was at risk of becoming homeless.

However, once again, Evans' account was a lie, and the money was lost on gambling as soon as he received it in his account.

Evans, of Tydeman Road, Bearsted was charged with three counts of fraud by false representation and money laundering.

He pleaded guilty, and on Wednesday 28 June 2023 was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to three years and four months’ imprisonment.

Detective Constable Katie Gregory, of West Kent CID, said: "Evans told lies to his victims to gain access to their money and then frittered the entire amount to pay for his gambling habit.

"The victims could not afford to lose these funds and the relative who lost their cash sadly died before the case came to court.

"Evans' actions can only be described as despicable, and he should seek help with his addiction while serving his prison sentence."