Former Green Party Politician Convicted for Money Laundering in Brian May Charity Scam

A former local Green Party politician from Western Sweden has been convicted for money laundering after participating in a scam involving a fake charity impersonating Queen guitarist Brian May. Over the summer and autumn of 2024, three individuals lost more than one million kronor to online scammers posing as May, raising funds allegedly for Gaza. One victim, a sick pensioner woman, believed she was communicating with Brian May and transferred large sums in good faith.

The politician, a woman in her 70s, was involved in transferring over 67,000 kronor via her bank account, using the funds to buy cryptocurrency on instructions from the scammer. She claimed she believed the money was for a charitable cause aiding Gaza. Despite this, the Västsverige district court found her story implausible, noting that the idea of a famous rock star collecting money through such means was highly unlikely. Although it was unclear if she had criminal intent, she was deemed to have reasonable suspicion that the funds were of criminal origin.

She was sentenced to a conditional sentence, fined 9,000 kronor, and ordered to pay damages to the victims. The politician had been in contact with the scammer for years via Skype and Google Chat before her bank closed her account in November 2024 and urged her to report the fraud. She still maintains she was deceived and aimed to help those in need in Gaza.

This case highlights how fraudsters exploited goodwill using the name of a famous musician, deceiving both ordinary citizens and a political figure into laundering illicit funds.