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| Hertfordshire woman who scammed neighbour out of £100k jailed | |
| (5 months later) | |
| Margarita Clark was previously jailed more than 10 years ago for conning her friends | Margarita Clark was previously jailed more than 10 years ago for conning her friends |
| A pensioner who was jailed a decade ago for conning friends out of £2.5m has been sent back to prison after defrauding a neighbour out of more than £100,000. | A pensioner who was jailed a decade ago for conning friends out of £2.5m has been sent back to prison after defrauding a neighbour out of more than £100,000. |
| Margarita Clark, 72, of Fourways in Bayford, Hertfordshire, was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation. | Margarita Clark, 72, of Fourways in Bayford, Hertfordshire, was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation. |
| St Albans Crown Court heard Clark befriended a woman in her 70s who had moved to the area after her husband died and managed to take £118,000 from her over a two-year period. | St Albans Crown Court heard Clark befriended a woman in her 70s who had moved to the area after her husband died and managed to take £118,000 from her over a two-year period. |
| The victim's family became suspicious and after a Google search discovered Clark had previously been jailed for three years and four months for taking £2.5m from friends in 2014. | The victim's family became suspicious and after a Google search discovered Clark had previously been jailed for three years and four months for taking £2.5m from friends in 2014. |
| Margarita Clark was previously imprisoned in 2014 for another scam | Margarita Clark was previously imprisoned in 2014 for another scam |
| In 2018, Clark had fabricated a story about purchasing property in Spain and offered the victim a chance to invest, in exchange for a cut of the interest. | In 2018, Clark had fabricated a story about purchasing property in Spain and offered the victim a chance to invest, in exchange for a cut of the interest. |
| Over the next two years she made up stories about the property to acquire more funds from the woman. | Over the next two years she made up stories about the property to acquire more funds from the woman. |
| She used the money to buy high-end clothing items, a new car and even persuaded the victim to pay for a trip to Dubai. | She used the money to buy high-end clothing items, a new car and even persuaded the victim to pay for a trip to Dubai. |
| Hertfordshire Police was contacted by the woman's family in October 2020 as they were concerned that the victim had been scammed. | Hertfordshire Police was contacted by the woman's family in October 2020 as they were concerned that the victim had been scammed. |
| Det Con Emma Cozens said: “Clark is a cold and calculating individual. She took advantage of her victim, who was grieving the loss of her husband and had only recently moved to the area. | Det Con Emma Cozens said: “Clark is a cold and calculating individual. She took advantage of her victim, who was grieving the loss of her husband and had only recently moved to the area. |
| "The victim genuinely believed she had made a close friend and was left shocked and heartbroken when the truth was discovered. I’m pleased that Clark is now behind bars." | "The victim genuinely believed she had made a close friend and was left shocked and heartbroken when the truth was discovered. I’m pleased that Clark is now behind bars." |
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