Mastermind of £12m fraud funds lavish lifestyle with Oxfordshire couple's £300,000 retirement pot

  • ITV News Meridian's Juliette Fletcher spoke to Marilyn Hamblin about the ordeal

A woman from Oxfordshire says she struggles to trust people in the aftermath of a devastating investment scam which saw her and her husband lose £300,000.

Marilyn and Gareth Hamblin were hoping the returns would secure them a more prosperous retirement.

Instead, Mr Hamblin is having to work longer to make up the shortfall.

The mastermind behind the operation, Jonathan Arafiena, is believed to have defrauded victims of more than £12million.

He is now serving a five-year jail sentence and the couple are warning others to be vigilant.

  • Mrs Hamblin told ITV News Meridian about the moment her husband realised their account had been emptied

Mrs Hamblin said: "He phoned me and he was devastated, absolutely devastated.

"Not only did he feel stupid but he felt sick and because he works at sea, not that he would have done, but it went through my mind he could have done something silly.

"I said to him it's only money, nobody died, but he felt awful and he never spoke about it for a long time, he just couldn't."

Two others linked to the crimes received suspended sentences.

The grandmother said the scammers were totally convincing so she is warning others to be vigilant.

Police in London said more than £12m was taken from hundreds of people.

The recovered assets will be sold to pay some of the money back to the victims.

Police recovered a number of items that Arafiena had spent his victims' money on. Credit: London Police

Jonathan Arafiena ran a "boiler room" scam, offering investments in commodities and currencies and promising some large returns.

Instead, he used the money to fund an extravagant lifestyle with high-end cars and expensive watches.

Arafiena pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court, to one count of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud.

Mrs Hamblin continued: "We don't live the high life, we are people who save. We don't spend our money, we enjoy life yes, but we don't go out of our way to spend.

"Listening to the court case and the gentleman who got his comeuppance, he just didn't care. He spent it on jewellery, gold bullion, Rolls Royces."

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