Mobile gaming addict stole grandad's £65k life savings

Jamie Cross was sentenced to two years in prison at Nottingham Crown Court

A man stole £65,300 of his own grandfather's savings and spent it on mobile gaming to feed his addiction.

Jamie Cross transferred the money over the space of a year and spent it on hundreds of in-game purchases.

The 37-year-old said he became addicted to playing games on his phone during the Covid-19 pandemic, said Nottinghamshire Police.

He was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation.

Cross, of Alexandra Street, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, accessed his grandfather's money after setting up a banking app on his behalf to help him make online purchases during lockdown, police said.

Severely depleted

But Nottingham Crown Court heard Cross used the app to transfer huge sums into his own account to fund his spiralling addiction.

Cross carried out the fraudulent transactions between 3 December 2020 and 10 December 2021, police said.

He was found out when his grandfather noticed his accounts were severely depleted, the court heard.

When interviewed by detectives, Cross admitted his offending, explaining that he started by spending £100 on the odd occasion, but this soon grew to more than £1,000 a day as his addition became worse.

He also told officers he took up gaming as it was a release for him following a relationship break-up.

'Cycle of addiction'

Det Con Chris Underwood, from Nottinghamshire Police's Fraud Investigation unit, said this was a "very sad case" of fraud driven by addiction.

"It was a serious breach of trust and Cross is rightly now facing the consequences of his actions," he added.

"This is yet another example of how the cycle of addiction can lead to individuals resorting to illicit means to fund their habit. That's why it is important anyone who feels they may have a gaming addiction - or any other kind of addiction that could result in criminal behaviour - seeks help.

"There are ways to prevent gaming addiction, which include recognising the warning signs and monitoring your online activity if and when you're worried."