Victims of a repeated scammer have come forward, stating they have only received £100 out of the £13,750 she owed them, following the exposure of a fraudulent wedding scheme. Charlotte Blackwell, a resident of Bridgend, narrowly avoided jail time after deceiving her then-fiancé’s mother and close friends, who now accuse her of disregarding court directives.
The 31-year-old, previously implicated in a fraud case involving a children’s cancer charity, fabricated false wedding arrangements to clear her gambling debts. Between 2022 and 2024, she swindled £12,682 from individuals supposedly involved in the planned wedding in Turkey.
The four victims, including her then-fiancé’s mother Paula Thomas, and friends Helen Morse, Sue Chapman, and Tracey Roberts, were defrauded sums ranging from £2,803 to £3,311 each. Despite a court order requiring Blackwell to pay compensations ranging from £3,250 to £3,500 to each victim, they claim to have only received a minimal payment of £25.45 each in July.
Recently, Blackwell was fined £200 for missing several unpaid work appointments at Cardiff Crown Court, further frustrating her victims awaiting overdue compensation. One of the victims, Ms. Morse, expressed disappointment at the slow progress in receiving reparations, emphasizing the impact of the deception on their trust in others.
The scam involved fabricated flight confirmations, emails from non-existent travel agents, and false bank transactions. Blackwell confessed to four counts of fraud related to the fake wedding scheme during her sentencing in March. Her defense attorney mentioned her personal challenges, including her daughter’s health issues and gambling addiction, as contributing factors to her criminal behavior.
In a separate incident, Blackwell had avoided imprisonment in a previous charity scam involving Morgan’s Army, where she falsely claimed her daughter needed medical treatment abroad. The charity, dedicated to supporting families affected by childhood cancer, was targeted by Blackwell shortly after the tragic passing of Morgan Ridler.
Despite the ongoing legal proceedings and financial penalties, Blackwell declined to provide a comment. The Ministry of Justice assured that efforts were being made to recover the owed compensations from offenders like Blackwell, emphasizing the importance of justice for victims.