Luton cancer fraudster who gained £40,000 in scam jailed

Wilfred Mpofu gained £40,000 from his former fiancée, family and friends by pretending to have cancer

A fraudster who tricked his former fiancée, her family and a friend out of nearly £40,000 has been jailed.

Wilfred Mpofu, 32, of Tenby Drive, Luton, claimed he had stage four pancreatic cancer and needed the money for an operation at a private hospital in Switzerland.

Mpofu also had fundraising pages set up for him by the fiancée and a friend.

He was jailed for two years and eight months at Luton Crown Court after admitting five counts of fraud.

The court heard his former fiancée, her father and her late grandmother all gave him money.

Prosecutor Marion Smullen said in total Mpofu received £38,282.51.

After being caught cheating, he said he had been diagnosed with cancer and needed to raise £30,000 for an operation in Zurich.

Once he received the money, he claimed to have changed his mind about the operation and said he was taking steroids to recover.

His former fiancée said she became increasingly suspicious and Mpofu stopped communicating with her.

When police examined his medical records, they found he had never been diagnosed with cancer.

'Wicked lies'

In a victim personal statement, the ex-fiancée said: "I was devastated and emotionally drained when told of his pancreatic cancer. From the bottom of my heart I loved him.

"He proved to be a complete fraudster," she said.

Jailing him, Judge David Farrell QC said: "It is quite clear that the fraud involved wicked lies on your part that have had a devastating effect on the principal victim."

A Proceeds of Crime Hearing to recover the money has been set for February.