'Depraved' scammer 'begged for money 12 times a day'

A convicted fraudster who scammed her friends out of tens of thousands of pounds is "depraved, deceitful and sick in the head," according to one of her victims, speaking as she has had her money returned six years on.

Sarah, not her real name, said Kim Older, 53, would call her "about 12 times a day" including in the middle of the night "pleading and begging for finances".

Older would threaten to take her own life, Sarah said. "You don't expect your colleague to ever in a million years be behind this massive scam."

Sarah says she got her money back after Older was forced to sell her house following a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing.

The victim also received £6,000 in compensation.

She still felt "disbelief" after getting her money back, she told BBC South East.

"Because I'm quite cynical and it was my own stupidity that any of this occurred.

"That's how I feel, or that's how victims are made to feel isn't it?" she said.

Sarah was in a period of bereavement for her father, who had left her money so she and her husband could "get married and have a house together".

Older tricked her into handing over the money.

She said: "I'd known her two and a half years. She was going to make our wedding cake."

In 2024 Older, from Bexhill, was convicted of two counts of fraud by false representation and given a suspended prison sentence.

She told her victims she needed financial assistance to access an inheritance fund and promised they would benefit from loaning her money.

Glyn Busby, also from Bexhill, initially paid Older £4,000 after a close family member - who was friends with her - convinced him to loan the money.

Eventually he handed Older a total of about £35,000, which included his inheritance and money he had borrowed on credit cards.

Older involved other people in the elaborate scam, who phoned Glyn posing as bank managers and an insurance company.

"It all seemed so real – she got me hook, line and sinker," he said.

But Glyn says following the proceeds of crime investigation, he, too, has now had his money paid back to him, plus compensation.

"I have to admit I didn't have much faith and thought that even if she was found guilty the chances of me getting my money back would be very slim," he said.

Sarah added: "I do urge people just to give it a go and fight for it. I didn't have to pay anything via legal teams, it was all through the police."

Dr Elizabeth Carter, a criminologist from Kingston University, said Older's scam was a type of "friendship fraud" where existing relationships are used to extort money.

She said when friends or family were corroborating what fraudsters were saying it was important for victims to "cast their net wider" for advice.

"You can even go to your local high street bank or building society and run it past them. Nowadays these organisations are really clued up and happy to help," she said.

Sarah added: "It's a massive lesson that I've learnt about people and generosity and unfortunately it'll take some time to be generous to myself and forgive myself."

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