Charity conman dupes mum and daughter out of £400 in cold-blooded fraud
A crafty fraudster who tricked a vulnerable mother and her daughter out of £400 has finally been locked up – but only after a four-year police hunt.
Kevin Cole’s Fake Charity Scam Uncovered
Kevin Cole, 55, from Mitcham, also known by the alias Peter Penfold, was found guilty at Inner London Crown Court on 21 July of two counts of fraud by false representation.
Cole conned the victims by pretending to be a charity manager – when in fact he’d only ever been a volunteer collector, entitled only to travel and food expenses.
Cold Calculated Lies Cost Family £400
- In 2016, Cole promised a mother with Multiple Sclerosis a £30,000 home improvements grant if she donated £300 to his so-called charity.
- He handed her a fake receipt – the charity never gave grants for home repairs.
- He also duped the mother’s 19-year-old daughter, charging her £100 for uniforms to work as his receptionist at a charity that had closed two years earlier.
- The young woman quit her job on this false promise.
Jury Finds Fraudster Guilty, Slapped with Suspended Sentence
Cole was sentenced to repay the £400 and given a four-month jail term, suspended for 12 months. His criminal record revealed 22 prior convictions for fraud.
During the trial, Cole also revealed his eccentric ‘Banana Man’ persona – a character he used to collect charity cash, falsely bragging he’d raised £1.2 million.
Police Slam Cole’s “Devious” Scheme
“I was disgusted that anyone could take £300 while promising to dramatically change someone’s life knowing that it was no more than hot air,” said PC Carl Blissett of the Met’s Economic Crime Unit.
“Cole dashed a vulnerable mother’s hopes and stole from her daughter who gave up a job for a role that didn’t exist. This shows just how callous and self-serving he truly is.”
“This verdict sends a strong message: fraudsters will be found and held to account.”
