Woman jailed after fraud of elderly victims

39-year old Lisa Macardle has been jailed for two and a half years for three counts of fraud by false representation, targetting elderly victims.

The total sum of transactions between her three victims was north of £10,000.

Macardle pleaded guilty at Aylsebury Crown Court on 17th January after being charged last July.

The first incident occurred on 17th June 2023, as the 98-year-old victim received a telephone call by a man impersonating her bank, claiming that her bank cards needed to be cancelled and collected by a courier and she would be sent replacements.

Two days after the phone call, Macardle would attend the victim’s house and collect her bank card., which she used to withdraw £550 from ATMs in Bournemouth and Aylesbury and spend £3,838.01 on Apple products in John Lewis, Southampton.

She also attempted to transfer large amounts of money and was unsuccessful, as were further purchase and withdrawal attempts.

Macardle executed similar plans twice more, targeting a 96-year-old man and a 91-year-old woman, totalling around £6000 in fraudulent spending between the two victims’ cards.

A failed transaction to purchase a piece of jewellery at Ernest ones Jewellers in Oxford for £1,915 was her last attempted purchase on record.

Detective inspector Duncan Wynn of the Central Fraud Unit said: “Lisa Macardle has pleaded guilty to the offences which is testament to the thorough investigation by Thames Valley Police’s High Harm Fraud Team.

“Our message to offenders is clear, we will pursue, arrest and charge you.”