{{short description|English fraudster}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person | name = Mark Acklom | birth_name = Mark Richard George Acklom | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1973}} | birth_place = Lambeth, London, England | education = Eastbourne College | known_for = Being a conman and fraudster | spouse = Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez | children = 2 }}
'''Mark Richard George Acklom'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/who-mark-acklom-conman-national-1634663|title=Police hunt continues for wanted conman Mark Acklom|first=Laura|last=Linham|date=2 June 2018|website=somersetlive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/londons-nine-most-wanted-crimes-13582797|title=Here are the faces of London's nine most wanted|first=Qasim|last=Peracha|date=6 September 2017|website=getwestlondon}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/news/bath-news/fugitive-accused-swindling-bath-woman-1062527|title=Fugitive accused of swindling Bath mum may have new identity|first1=Laura|last1=Elvin|first2=Amanda|last2=Cameron|date=14 January 2018|website=bathchronicle}}</ref> (born 1973) is an English conman and fraudster who was on Britain's National Crime Agency's list of 10 most-wanted fugitives. His criminal career began at the age of 16 and he has been imprisoned five times in Spain since 1999. He was wanted by Avon & Somerset Police on suspicion of fraud by false representation.
==Early life== Mark Acklom was born in Lambeth in London in 1973,<ref>[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVWV-7YPQ Mark Richard G Acklom.] Family Search. Retrieved 15 September 2017.</ref> the oldest of four children. He was educated at Eastbourne College. He was first jailed in 1991 when he was sentenced to four years in a young offender institution for stealing his father's American Express card and posing as a stockbroker to commit a £1 million fraud that included obtaining a £446,168 mortgage on a house and hiring private jets.<ref>"Schoolboy's £446,000 loan fraud", ''The Times'', 5 July 1991, p. 3. Retrieved 15 September 2017.</ref><ref name=times2>"Teenage swindler given four years", Robin Young, ''The Times'', 3 August 1991, p. 3. Retrieved 15 September 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/mark-acklom-britain-s-most-wanted-man-living-it-up-in-switzerland-xlbn77ng0 Mark Acklom, Britain’s most wanted man, living it up in Switzerland.] Neil Johnston, ''The Times'', 14 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017. {{subscription required}}</ref> He was described by the judge as "utterly selfish and completely ruthless".<ref name=times2/> His parents, who informed the police of their son's activities, moved to rented accommodation and sold their house in Bromley to raise money to help pay off his debts.<ref name=argus>[http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/14816540.Prolific_conman_on_the_run_after_allegedly_defrauding_lover_of___850_000/ Prolific conman Mark Acklom who began life of crime in Sussex on the run after allegedly defrauding lover of £850,000.] Rachel Millard, ''The Argus'', 22 October 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2017.</ref> The events were the subject of an episode of ''Crime Limited'' in August 1993.<ref>"Choice", Peter Waymark, ''The Times'', 5 August 1993, p. 39. Retrieved 16 September 2017.</ref>
==Career== Acklom has been imprisoned five times in Spain. He was wanted by Avon & Somerset Police on suspicion of fraud by false representation after he started a romantic relationship with a woman in 2012, telling her he was Mark Conway, a rich Swiss banker and MI6 agent. The woman lent him a total of £850,000 which has never been repaid.<ref>[http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/most-wanted-hub/item/67-mark-acklom Mark Acklom.] National Crime Agency. Retrieved 15 September 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-38518909 Woman claims 'MI6 lover' Mark Acklom defrauded her of £850k.] BBC News, 5 January 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2016/11/27/britains-most-wanted-mark-acklom-attempted-to-scam-marbella-divorcee-in-mi6-con/ Britain’s Most Wanted Mark Acklom attempted to scam Marbella divorcee in MI6 con.] Rob Horgan, ''The Olive Press'', 27 November 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2017.</ref> His other aliases are alleged to include Marc Ros Rodriguez, George Kennedy and Zac Moss.<ref name=argus/>
In May 2017, he was reported to have been seen and photographed in a café in Switzerland with a man who could be wanted fugitive Costas Estevez.<ref>[http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2017-06-02/one-of-britains-most-wanted-conmen-spotted-in-geneva/ One of Britain's most wanted conmen spotted in Geneva.] ITV News, 2 June 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.</ref><ref>[http://news.sky.com/story/britain-and-europes-most-wanted-men-on-the-run-together-11033178 Britain and Europe's most wanted men on the run together.] Martin Brunt, Sky News, 13 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.</ref> Police seeking to detain Acklom under a European Arrest Warrant had previously been searching for him in Spain after he was released early from prison there before the warrant could be issued.<ref name=sky/><ref>[http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2017/06/02/alleged-british-fraudster-mark-acklom-evades-capture-geneva/ Alleged British fraudster Mark Acklom evades capture AGAIN in Geneva.] Laurence Dollimore, ''The Olive Press'', 2 June 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.</ref>
Acklom was on the National Crime Agency's list of 10 most-wanted fugitives.<ref name=sky>[http://news.sky.com/story/suspected-fraudster-mark-acklom-evades-capture-after-geneva-sighting-10901660 Suspected fraudster Mark Acklom evades capture after Geneva sighting.] Martin Brunt, Sky News, 2 June 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.</ref> On 30 June 2018 Acklom was arrested at an apartment in Zürich<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-44693882|title='MI6 conman' Mark Acklom arrested in Switzerland|publisher=BBC News|date=3 July 2018|accessdate=3 July 2018}}</ref> and after extradition in 2019 was set to face trial later that year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-47691946|title=£750,000 fraud man denies charges|date=25 March 2019|publisher=BBC}}</ref>
Acklom admitted fraud, relating to £850,000, acquired from a woman he targeted, at Bristol Crown Court in August 2019. He was sentenced to 5 years and 8 months and was the subject of a Sky documentary in 2019 – ''Conman: The Life and Crimes of Mark Acklom''.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBwKmH3QLt0 "Conman: The life and crimes of Mark Acklom"], YouTube documentary</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-tens/conman-admits-wooing-divorcee-posing-18856205|title=Conman admits wooing divorcee by posing as spy and fleecing her out of £850,000|last=Lumley|first=Sarah|date=7 August 2019|website=mirror|access-date=7 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-49265066|title=Conman jailed for £300,000 fraud|date=7 August 2019|publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/mark-acklom-britains-most-notorious-conman-may-have-suffered-brain-damage-at-birth-says-mother-11830106|title=Mark Acklom: Britain's most notorious conman 'may have suffered brain damage at birth', says mother|publisher=Sky News}}</ref>
==Family== Acklom is married to Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez who uses the aliases Yolianda Ross, Maria Long and Mary Moss. The couple have two daughters.<ref>"Fugitive fraudster on run with family", Valentine Low, ''The Times'', 24 October 2017, p. 19.</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acklom, Mark}} Category:1973 births Category:People from Lambeth Category:English fraudsters Category:People educated at Eastbourne College Category:20th-century English criminals Category:Living people Category:21st-century English criminals