Police hunt for fraudster who poses as wealthy businessman

Police are trying to trace a convicted fraudster suspected of conning a woman out of money by posing as a wealthy businessman.
Police are trying to trace suspected fraudster Jeremy ScottPolice are trying to trace suspected fraudster Jeremy Scott
Police are trying to trace suspected fraudster Jeremy Scott

Jeremy Scott, 50, is wanted on suspicion of fraud by false representation by North Yorkshire Police for allegedly defrauding his victim, from Harrogate, over a business deal that never happened.

Scott was jailed for four years at Hull Crown Court in 2009 after conning three women out of more than £200,000, after claiming he was a millionaire who rubbed shoulders with the stars. At the time he was described by a Judge as an “out-and-out fraudster.”

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North Yorkshire Police said extensive inquiries were going on to locate Scott, who uses the name Jeremy Fulton and is believed to be in the York, Harrogate or Easingwold area.

The court heard Scott preyed on the vulnerable middle-aged divorcees by claiming to be a hot-shot City banker, who supplied wine to Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

He also said he owned 200 homes including a mansion next door to former England manager Steve McClaren.

After worming his way into intimate relationships with the women – whom he dated at the same time – he then used the money they had given him to wine and dine the others.

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Scott, who also claimed to have helped Simon Cowell climb the celebrity ladder, said he partied with Gordon Ramsay and counted Ryan Giggs and Sir Alan Sugar as friends.

Clad in expensive designer suits, he boasted of serving as a captain during the Falklands War before returning home to play rugby union for England. In reality, he was an overweight, scruffy and penniless loner who lived in a filthy bungalow in Hornsea, East Yorkshire.

After initially charming the women, his persuaded them to hand over thousands of pounds as he concocted incredible tales about why he urgently needed cash.

He told them his millions were frozen because he was a witness in a High Court trial involving corrupt police. He also said he lived in the bungalow because he was “in hiding” after threats.

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His plans finally unravelled when one of his victims became suspicious of his failure to repay her. She called police and he was arrested. His two other lovers discovered the truth when they drove to his bungalow to confront him and bumped into each other.

Scott was sent to jail after admitting four counts of fraud and three of obtaining property by deception.

At the time Judge Michael Mettyear said: “You are an out-and-out fraudster. It is clear you had a knack of selecting vulnerable middle-aged women.

“Your method was essentially the same, lie after lie. None of the women were particularly wealthy and none could afford to lose these amounts of money.”

Anyone who recognises Scott, or has any information about his whereabouts, is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police.