Serial fraudster Marc Raven who claimed to be 'successful businessman' to get money from women jailed

A serial fraudster who claimed he was a successful businessman to manipulate women into giving him money has been jailed. Marc Raven, 61, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to fraud against two women, including one in Singapore, at York Crown Court and has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison.

Raven, who has also been known as Marc Bookey, Marc Cohen and Marc Stewart was heard to have deceived one Harrogate woman into marrying him and selling her home. The victim met Raven through a dating app in January 2018, and they were married by October.

Raven informed her that he had a substantial sum of money in a Singaporean bank account that he was struggling to access. . He then encouraged her to sell her home in Harrogate and use the money to live on, making her believe they would soon be buying a property worth more than £1 million.

Simultaneously, he was extracting money from her, assuring repayment once his own funds were accessible. They submitted offers for several houses, yet progress never materialised, with Raven consistently attributing the lack of progress to the sellers.

It was not until October 2019 that Raven’s lies were exposed. Between June 2018 and May 2019, the victim had transferred him more than £200,000 and had to declare herself bankrupt and move in with family. He was later arrested and the police discovered another victim in Singapore.

Raven began a relationship with her in 2016, and the following year he contacted her, claiming he had been hospitalised in Dubai, and needed money to pay medical fees and customs fines. The victim transferred about £100,000 between July 2017 and August 2018.

During the investigation, Raven continued to claim that he had money in Singapore but this was proven false following international financial enquiries conducted in the country. On Monday (November 27) at York Crown Court, Raven was sentenced to eight years and one month in jail.

In a personal statement read at court, the daughter of the woman Raven married said: “The damage Marc has done to my family is immeasurable, and no punishment will ever repair the damage he’s done to my mum. I just hope that he’s unable to cause this much harm and pain to anyone again.”

DC Neil Brodhurst, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Raven was a serial fraudster, who lied again and again to obtain money from women he was in a relationship with. It’s no exaggeration to say his deception has shattered lives.

“While nothing can undo the damage he has caused, I hope that this result can at least bring about some closure for the victims. And it will ensure that no one else can ever be taken in by his lies, or forced to suffer what they have endured.

“Financial abuse is a form of domestic abuse. It can happen to anyone of any age. Sometimes it can take a long time for victims to realise what is happening. But if you feel uncomfortable about how someone you know is behaving with your money, they may be financially abusing you.

“It’s not easy to take the first step to break free of financial abuse, but you will not be alone – the police are here to support you. Call us on 101. We will talk to you in confidence about the help that’s available.”