Lisa Mary Macardle, 39, from Aylesbury, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison after conning elderly individuals into handing over their bank cards. Macardle pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud and one count of possessing criminal property.
She targeted elderly victims in their 90s across Dorset, Hampshire, and Northamptonshire, posing as a bank courier. Macardle convinced the victims that their bank cards needed to be cancelled, and she would collect the old cards for them. Once in possession of the cards, she withdrew more than £10,000, spending it on luxury items including Apple products.
The first victim, a 98-year-old woman from Dorset, was scammed in June 2023. Macardle withdrew £500 from an ATM in Bournemouth, bought nearly £4,000 worth of Apple products at John Lewis in Southampton, and made further withdrawals.
Other victims included a 96-year-old man from Northampton, who was tricked into handing over his card, and a 91-year-old woman from Hampshire, who also fell for the scam. Macardle attempted to buy expensive jewelry with the stolen cards but failed on multiple occasions.
Macardle was arrested on the day of her final fraudulent purchases. She was charged and sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court. The police investigation found no other suspects involved.
Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn described the crime as “courier fraud,” a particularly insidious scam where criminals prey on vulnerable individuals by posing as trusted authorities.
