In February 2017, a devastating discovery unraveled a carefully constructed web of deception involving a woman from County Durham and her family, revealing a complex romance and financial fraud case that is being referred to as the “Fireman Scam.” At the heart of the case is Coleen and her sister, both of whom suffered significant emotional and financial damage following a prolonged con by a man known to them as James Scott.
Coleen, then 43, had been in a relationship for two and a half years with a man presenting himself as James Scott, a 36-year-old former firefighter turned successful businessman. The couple shared a one-year-old son, Charlie, and had planned to marry in December 2016. However, the man’s true identity was later uncovered as Greg Wilson, a married ex-soldier and experienced con artist who fabricated nearly every detail about his life, including his profession and personal medical history.
Wilson’s deception extended beyond Coleen. He had also drawn in her twin sister, who became entangled in his schemes through a joint property development business he claimed to be launching. Wilson portrayed himself as having access to significant financial resources through his purported mother, a wealthy sports agent residing in the South of France. Capitalizing on their trust, Wilson’s sister invested approximately £56,000 in the venture—savings that she lost as the scheme unraveled.
The siblings’ shared story began in September 2014, when Coleen, having joined a dating website, connected with Wilson under the alias James Scott. Presenting as a divorced father of two daughters and showcasing a firefighter persona—including detailed stories of rescue missions and physical injuries sustained—Wilson quickly earned the family’s trust. Nevertheless, it later became clear that much of this backstory was fabricated. For instance, his firefighting uniform had been purchased online, and his supposed shift schedule masked the fact he was regularly visiting his wife of thirteen years and their three children.
Problems emerged when Coleen became pregnant in June 2015, despite Wilson’s claim that he had undergone a vasectomy two months earlier—a procedure he falsely asserted to avoid further children. When the pregnancy became known, Wilson expressed enthusiasm about the child despite previous assertions to the contrary, raising further suspicion.
After Coleen went into early labor in February 2016, requiring an emergency C-section and extended hospitalization for both mother and infant, plans for the couple’s wedding and the property business appeared to resume. During that period, Coleen’s sister invested considerable funds into the Gemini property management company that Wilson claimed to be establishing. The investment involved multiple transfers totaling £56,000 and prompted her to leave her well-paid job to focus on the venture.
Ultimately, the family’s trust was betrayed as the facade of James Scott—and the business opportunity—collapsed, leaving emotional scars and substantial financial loss. A judge later described the scam as marked by “jaw-dropping arrogance and cruelty,” underscoring the extent of Wilson’s exploitation of the family’s goodwill. Both sisters have since spoken publicly about their experiences, with Coleen becoming somewhat of a public figure through media engagements, while her sister has highlighted her own often overlooked losses resulting from the scam.