Fraudsters have used the names and addresses of victims to get their hands on almost £8,000 worth of mobiles
A court heard that the stolen identities were used to apply for phone contracts.
One of the identity fraudsters attended seven stores across Kent, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, West Sussex, London and Berkshire.
Prosecutors told how an innocent man in Swindon had received collection letters from O2 and Vodafone chasing him for payments over the contracts a fraudster took out in his name, prosecutors said.
This identity fraud was brought to light in separate cases at Reading Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
An iPhone 14 (stock image). A 21-year-old man called Reagan Turpin who had carried out the fraud by false representation at seven different Vodafone stores
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (stock image). Between October 3 2022 and December 9 2022 Turpin, of Wallace Road in Grays, Thurrock, visited stores in Brent Cross, Gravesend and even as far away as Chichester
The first one involved a 21-year-old man called Reagan Turpin who had carried out the fraud by false representation at seven different Vodafone stores.
In each case, Turpin had attended a Vodafone store with a driving licence and HSBC card in the name of a man called Jack Johnson, who was a real person with no idea his ID was being used.
Between October 3 2022 and December 9 2022 Turpin, of Wallace Road in Grays, Thurrock, visited stores in Brent Cross, Gravesend and even as far away as Chichester.
He was finally caught when he attended a Vodafone store on Northbrook Street in Newbury, Berks. on February 10 last year.
Emily Hodge, prosecuting, told magistrates: ‘The defendant sat down with a member of stage and asked to take out a phone contract. He was asked to provide two types of ID.
‘The staff member proceeded to go through the relevant credit checks and became suspicious of the defendant. They alerted the manager and the manager completed checks on a security system.’
Turpin came up on the Vodafone security website as someone who had previously taken out contracts fraudulently at different stores, the court heard.
The prosecutor added: ‘Police attended and spoke with the defendant and completed checks on the driving licence. The name and address did belong to a real person but the licence number and photo had been changed.
‘Jack Johnson was spoken to. He had no knowledge of details being used and no knowledge of how details had been obtained.’
A search of Turpin’s home revealed six empty iPhone boxes. Ms Hodge said the value of the phones the defendant had fraudulently obtained – which included seven Apple iPhone 14s, an iPhone 14 pro, and two other unknown models of phones – totalled £5,323.11.
Turpin and Billy Leech both appeared at Reading Magistrates Court (pictured). Leech admitted one count of fraud relating to him attending an O2 store in Newbury on the afternoon of January 20 last year
Turpin, who had three previous convictions for three previous offences, admitted the seven frauds but claimed he had been acting under pressure from older men to carry out the offences. His case was adjourned until October 17 for him to receive his sentence.
The other fraudster was Billy Leech, a 32-year-old man of Station Road, Crayford, Dartford, who admitted one count of fraud relating to him attending an O2 store in Newbury on the afternoon of January 20 last year.
Ms Hodge, who also prosecuted this matter, told magistrates the case of Leech ‘involved very similar circumstances as in [Turpin’s], rather strangely’.
The prosecutor told how Leech had been attempting to buy two iPhone Pro 14 Max phones worth £2,600 with suspected fraudulent documents in the name of James Gould.
Leech had two HSBC bank statements, a HSBC debit card in the name of Mr Gould, of Swindon, and a deriving licence in his name, again with the photo changed.
‘Officers have attended the scene and have identified the person responsible who fled on foot out of the store and entered a blue Ford Focus, which drove off at speed’, Ms Hodge said.
Leech’s escape was blocked by a passing heavy goods vehicle and he was arrested. The defendant admitted the offence at Reading Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Magistrates decided to punish Leech with a community order after the former company director revealed his business and his relationship had fallen apart during lockdown and he had become addicted to cocaine.
Mr Gould was contacted and confirmed the name and address on the documents did belong to him, but the bank account and card numbers did not.
‘Credit checks had been made on his profile and he has since received collection letters from both O2 and Vodafone’, Ms Hodge said.
