TL;DR
Mark Acklom, a 52-year-old fraudster who posed as an MI6 agent and Swiss banker, has been ordered to hand over £125,000 to a woman he conned in a 2012 romance scam. The sum represents his estimated available assets; failure to pay within three months could add two years to his sentence.
What happened
Court papers and a Crown Prosecution Service statement outline a long-running deception in which Mark Acklom persuaded Carolyn Woods in 2012 that he was a wealthy Swiss banker and an MI6 operative. He convinced her to provide multiple loans, supposedly to fund renovations on properties he did not own, then disappeared. Acklom pleaded guilty in August 2019 to five counts of fraud worth £300,000 and was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison. After serving his UK term he was extradited to Spain and was released from a Spanish jail last year, according to the CPS. At recent hearings at Bristol Crown Court lawyers agreed Acklom’s overall fraud totaled £710,000, and a judge ordered him to repay £125,000 — the value of assets identified — within three months. The court warned that non-payment would trigger an extra two years in prison.
Why it matters
- It highlights the financial and emotional harm romance scams can cause, including long-term loss for individual victims.
- The ruling shows prosecutors are seeking to recover identifiable assets from cross-border offenders.
- It underscores challenges in policing offenders who move between countries and use fabricated identities.
- The case illustrates the potential for additional prison time tied to failure to make court-ordered repayments.
Key facts
- Victim named in reports: Carolyn Woods; she met Acklom in 2012.
- Acklom admitted five counts of fraud worth £300,000 in August 2019 and received a five years, eight months sentence.
- At Bristol Crown Court lawyers agreed Acklom’s total fraud across cases was valued at £710,000.
- Judge ordered Acklom to repay £125,000 — the estimated total of his available assets — within three months or face an extra two years in UK prison.
- CPS says Acklom posed as a Swiss investment banker and an MI6 agent to obtain loans for non-existent property renovations.
- Acklom was extradited to the UK from Switzerland in 2019, and the CPS says he was released from a Spanish jail last year after being extradited there at the end of his UK sentence.
- The CPS described him as a calculating and persistent fraudster and said it continues to pursue criminal assets.
- CPS claimed it has recovered over £478 million from criminals in the last five years and returned £95 million of that to victims.
What to watch next
- Whether Acklom pays the ordered £125,000 within the three-month deadline — not confirmed in the source.
- If he fails to pay, whether UK authorities will seek to enforce the additional two-year custodial term.
- Whether Acklom will return to the UK to face further enforcement or prosecution — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Romance scam: A type of fraud where a perpetrator builds a relationship with a victim to obtain money, gifts, or personal information.
- Extradition: The legal process by which one jurisdiction surrenders a person to another jurisdiction where they are accused or convicted of a crime.
- Asset recovery: Efforts by authorities to identify, seize and return proceeds from criminal activity to victims or the state.
- Crown Prosecution Service (CPS): The principal public body in England and Wales responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police.
- Fraud: A criminal act involving deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
Reader FAQ
Who is Mark Acklom?
A 52-year-old who, according to prosecutors, posed as a Swiss banker and MI6 agent and was convicted of multiple fraud offences.
How much must he repay and by when?
He has been ordered to repay £125,000 within three months, or face an additional two years in UK prison.
What was his sentence for the fraud convictions?
In August 2019 he was sentenced to five years and eight months after pleading guilty to five counts of fraud totaling £300,000.
Was he prosecuted in multiple countries?
The CPS says he was extradited from Switzerland to the UK in 2019 and was later released from a Spanish jail after extradition there; details beyond that are not confirmed in the source.
Are there other victims or larger claimed losses?
One accuser told prosecutors she lost a sum closer to £850,000, and lawyers agreed a total fraud figure of £710,000 across cases.
CYBER-CRIME 17 Conman and wannabe MI6 agent must repay £125k to romance scam victim Judge says former most-wanted fugitive Mark Acklom will likely never return to the UK Connor Jones…
Sources
- Conman and wannabe MI6 agent must repay £125k to romance scam victim
- Conman who posed as MI6 agent in romance scam told to pay …
- Elusive MI6 wannabe must repay £125k to romance scam …
- MI6 conman Mark Acklom told to repay his victim £ …
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