UK news: Mum's £180,000 'fantasy life' scam rumbled after £37.80 purchase at B&Q
A mum-of-three who enjoyed a lavish "fantasy life" saw her scam come crashing down after a £37.80 purchase at B&Q. Tracy Ellis swindled her employer out of £180,000 over a period of more than five years.
But, on May 9 last year, company director Jennifer Burrows noticed that the business account had been used to complete a £37.80 transaction at B&Q in St Helens the previous day. She then confronted the defendant, as they were the only members of staff who had been trusted with the pin number for this card.
This prompted a full internal investigation, which found that the fraudster had stolen a total of £181,958.95 from her employer over the course of 139 separate transactions dating as far back as January 2017. These had been made into 12 separate accounts, including those of her family members. Ellis, who has no previous convictions, has since "found employment at a much lower level". Andrew McInnes, defending, told the court: "References suggest a positive good character.
"She was almost living some sort of fantasy, that she had an income beyond the income she received. Her low self-esteem led to a desire to please people. There are clearly elements of escapism by buying things and giving family members money. She was drinking to excess, which clouded her judgement. Ellis admitted fraud by abuse of position. Wearing a pink and black checked coat and glasses in the dock, she was jailed for two years and eight months.She is set to be hauled back before the same court later this year, when she could be ordered to repay her ill-gotten gains under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Sentencing, Recorder Eric Lamb said: "You abused that trust which had been placed in you.
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