A woman is facing court over an alleged £238,000 romance fraud plot targeting an 85-year-old Aberdeen man.
Cheryl Joss, or Mitchell, 40, is alleged to have pretended to be in a relationship with the pensioner so she could take £28,387 from him in loans she never intended to pay back.
That charge alleges Mitchell contacted the pensioner through a dating website and pretended she wished to enter a relationship with him.
It’s claimed she asked him to lend her money on various occasions and suggested going on holiday together before requesting cash towards it.
It is also alleged she, on one occasion, went to a shop with him to purchase £1,346 worth of euros, which she then took and did not return.
Mitchell did not enter a plea
A second charge alleges Mitchell pretended to be the pensioner to complete and submit applications for vehicle finance with online car retailer Cazoo, attempting to fraudulently induce the firm to provide her with finance to purchase vehicles worth £157,050.
Another charge alleged she pretended to HSBC, acting on behalf of Marks and Spencer Financial Services, that she was the pensioner and submitted an online loan application, attempting to obtain £15,500 by fraud.
A fourth charge says Mitchell pretended to be the OAP when she submitted an online application for vehicle finance to BMW Financial Services in a bid to get money to buy an Audi Q3 for £35,200.
‘Total sum involved across all five charges is £238,513’
And in a fifth and final charge, Mitchell is accused of stealing £1,030 by using the man’s credit card to pay a deposit for a BMW 4 Series at C and M McDonald in Kintore.
The offences are all alleged to have taken place between October 14 2021 and February 11 this year, while Mitchell lived in Kintore.
During a hearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Mitchell, described in court papers as a prisoner of HMP Grampian, did not enter a plea to the five charges – one of fraudulent scheme and theft, one of theft, and three of attempted fraud.
The total sum involved across all five charges is £238,513.
The case against her was continued to a further hearing next month to allow solicitor John McLeod and the Crown to investigate a legal matter.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
