Fraudster ordered to pay back nearly £80,000

by Michael Penkman. Published Mon 03 Oct 2011 09:36

A fraudster who conned people into thinking they were buying cheap electrical goods via an internet site has been ordered to pay back £79,800.

Sal Adams, 29, of Preston New Road, Blackpool, offered televisions, mobile phones and Ipods for low prices via Amazon UK, but the goods were never dispatched once orders were made and paid for.

Amazon eventually had to refund the customers, with Adams effectively defrauding the company out of £119,347.99.

A police spokesman said: "Where we have identified victims who have lost money we are delighted to be able to give them back that money.

“Amazon UK had to recompense victims whom Adams had defrauded and have waited patiently to recover their losses from him."

Adams was arrested in 2007 and subsequently convicted of 30 counts of fraud by false representation and four counts of money laundering.

He was later convicted of a further three counts of fraud and one of money laundering.

However, Adams failed to attend court and was sentenced to four years six months in his absence on 27 June.

At a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Preston Magistrates Court today, which Adams also failed to attend, a magistrate ordered that he pay back £79,800 to Amazon UK in compensation for their losses.

This money, which had been seized by police in 2007, will now be passed to the company.

Amazon UK has already managed to retain over £40,000 from Adams as a result of police intervention.