A 63-year-old woman has been jailed for six years after scamming victims she met in pubs out of nearly half a million pounds.

Susan Goose befriended her victims and convinced them to lend her vast amounts of money.

She often told them a story about needing cash to pay legal fees in a civil case about an inheritance she was owed.

However, the case did not exist and she never had any intention of paying the funds back.

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One of her victims ended up handing over so much money they lost their home.

Goose, who spent the cash on online gambling, was jailed at Norwich Crown Court after pleading guilty to five counts of fraud by false representation.

The court heard she targeted seven victims between 2011 and 2024, most of whom were approached in pubs in the city and told the sob story about a disputed inheritance.

To build their trust, Goose, from Wycliffe Road in Norwich, falsified documents including emails and claim forms.

She showed her victims items from her alleged solicitor, the bank and the high court she said was handling her case. 

Goose’s offending was uncovered when one of her victims found themselves in considerable debt due to the money they had lent to her.

The victim lost their home, business and all of their assets and became the subject of an Individual Voluntary Arrangement, an agreement reached with creditors to help settle debts.

Their situation was brought to the attention of Action Fraud and referred to Norfolk police.

Goose was arrested on January 5 on suspicion of fraud and later released on bail.

She was further arrested on February 16 once more victims had been identified and was charged with five counts of fraud by false representation.

Following her arrest, a search of Goose’s address was carried out, but no correspondence or documentation relating to any civil court case was found.

Several courts were also contacted to see if Goose was a claimant or defendant but again, no record was found.

Officers looking into Goose’s financial record found more than 2,600 payments to online gambling websites.

It is estimated that Goose had spent more than £130,000.

In total, she had defrauded her victims of £440,000.

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At her sentencing on Friday, Goose asked for two further offences, also frauds by false representation, to be taken into consideration.

Investigating officer, DC Dave Block said: “Goose’s offending was a gross abuse of trust and an example of exploitation at its worst.

“She has shown no remorse throughout this case. Her propensity for dishonesty and the longevity and extent of her ruthlessness is staggering.

“I am proud of each of her victims for bravely assisting with this investigation. I hope that this sentence provides them with a level of closure and that they can begin to rebuild their lives."