A particular rose tattoo led to a Gillingham fraudster, who tricked folks into handing over designer watches, telephones and computer systems, being recognized.
Amber Ward was jailed at Maidstone Crown Courtroom in the present day for her position in a conspiracy which concerned stealing the identities of individuals to order excessive worth objects.
Between August 14 and September 19 final 12 months, Ward and confederate Rueben Thomas travelled to areas together with Snodland and Ashford, targetting earlier properties of individuals whose identities had been stolen.
They used the stolen identification to rearrange for fraudulent orders to be delivered to a home, earlier than Ward would go to the current occupiers and declare to be a relative or a girlfriend accumulating parcels on behalf of former occupiers, including that the objects have been being delivered to their previous tackle by mistake.
Kent Police was initially alerted to suspicious exercise on September 11 and an investigation recognized plenty of linked offences, together with some exterior of the county.
Inquiries led to the invention of doorbell digicam footage displaying a feminine suspect with a tattoo of a rose on her hand.
Ward and Thomas have been arrested on September 19, throughout an try and intercept a parcel in Lakeside, Snodland.
One other girl had been travelling within the automobile who seemed much like Ward and the tattoo pictures proved pivotal in proving her involvement.
A search of Thomas’ house in Broxburn Drive, South Ockenden, Essex was carried out which led to the invention of a giant amount of fraudulently obtained objects, together with telephones valued in extra of £25,000, designer watches and computer systems.
Documentation of stolen utility payments, financial institution playing cards and consignment notes have been additionally recovered, which had been used to acquire fraudulent credit score agreements and order the objects.
Ward, aged 25, of Nelson Street, Gillingham pleaded responsible to a cost of conspiracy to commit fraud by false illustration.
She was sentenced in the present day to 2 years’ imprisonment – a 12 months for the fraud offences and a further 12 months for breaching a earlier suspended sentence.
Thomas, aged 29, had beforehand admitted the identical offence and was sentenced in October 2020, to 2 years and 6 months’ imprisonment.
Detective Constable Mark Newman of the Kent and Essex Critical Crime Directorate mentioned: “Victims of such a fraud typically do not know their identities have been stolen till they obtain calls for from debt accumulating firms and bailiffs over non-payment of products and contracts.
“While we have been capable of positively determine 4 victims throughout this investigation, the true quantity is prone to be far larger. Criminals will use many alternative ways to defraud harmless folks and may be very persuasive, so if you’re ever unsure, do not reply the door and report the incident to police or Motion Fraud right away.”
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