WIGAN, UK – A man who faked a terminal cancer diagnosis to con an old school friend out of nearly £30,000 has been sentenced to prison.
Matthew Howarth, 32, reached out to Thomas Lee, a former classmate he hadn’t spoken to in 16 years, falsely claiming he had a terminal brain tumour and needed urgent financial help. Pretending to be a TV producer with private medical insurance, Howarth told Lee he needed money to cover an excess payment.
Moved by compassion, Lee took out a loan to send Howarth £2,700. A year later, Howarth contacted him again, asking for £27,000, continuing the lie about his illness. Lee only realized he’d been deceived when he discovered that other friends on Facebook had also been targeted by Howarth’s scam.
Wigan Magistrates’ Court heard that Howarth had no job and no diagnosis, and used the money for personal gain. The judge called it a “shocking abuse of trust.” Howarth has now been jailed for his actions, though the specific length of the sentence was not disclosed.
