A British Woman Pretended to Be Seriously Ill and Deceived ex-wife for $43 thousand (4 photos)

The woman extracted money from a compassionate man, spending it on alcohol and entertainment.





Marta Shimanska made her ex-husband believe that she was seriously ill and suffered from a rare disease - encephalitis. The woman said that she was in the hospital and could die, but if he helped her financially, she would still get treatment.



Marta Shimanska

James Andrews, who broke up with Marta after five years of marriage, believed the deception, because the woman sent him fake medical documents and photos allegedly from the hospital. Periodically, the woman bombarded her ex-husband with fake calls and SMS from "doctors" from the clinic, convincing the man that his ex-wife was seriously ill. The deception continued for a couple of years. The woman dissuaded the man from visiting her at the clinic, citing her condition, and communication took place exclusively in messengers.





During this time, the kind man transferred a considerable amount of money to the fraudster, which she spent on alcohol and partying. When, finally, the Briton suspected the deception and contacted the police, Martha had already spent all the money that he transferred to her on treatment.

“In November 2021, Mr. Andrews received a call from a man who introduced himself as Dr. Jahawar Singh. He stated that the accused was very ill and needed urgent medical attention, as she had encephalitis and was in an induced coma. The "doctor" claimed to have paid for the expenses out of his own pocket and asked Mr Andrews to pay the costs so that they could be reimbursed by the NHS. The defendant then called every few days asking for more money for medication and treatment. In December 2021, Mr Andrews received a call from a woman claiming to be a nurse named Eva, who said the defendant was owed compensation and disability benefits, but also needed money to apply for them," the judge explained.



The court in Chechter, where Marta Szymanska pleaded guilty to fraud

The fraudster faced four years in prison, but Judge Stephen Everett took into account her "troubled childhood" as well as mental health issues: Szymanska suffers from depression and anxiety. As a result, the woman was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. In addition, the fraudster must work for the benefit of society for 150 hours, undergo 20 days of rehabilitation and undergo 12 months of treatment by a psychiatrist. But the court forbids her from contacting her ex-husband. And he does not want to see his ex-wife. During the time of communication with her, he squandered all his savings, got into debt and now barely makes ends meet. The court did not require that the fraudster compensate her ex-husband for the financial damage caused to him, since she has no money.