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News Archive - 2018

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Man sentenced to 10 months in prison for role in carpentry fraud

17th December 2018 • Posted in

Following an investigation by the National Trading Standards Investigation Team (Wales), a 23 year old Newport man has today been sentenced to 10 months in prison and 180 hours unpaid work at Cardiff Crown Court for six offences of fraud. The prosecution was conducted by Newport City Council as two of the offences took place in the city.

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Runaway criminal sentenced to seven and a half years for role in land banking fraud

17th December 2018 • Posted in

The fifth man involved in a land banking scam where innocent victims were conned out of over £35 million has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison and banned from being a company director for 15 years at Blackfriars Crown Court today. James Maynard is the final defendant to be sentenced in this case after fleeing the country before the original trial took place in March 2013.

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Consumer Harm Report 2018

27th September 2018 • Posted in

National Trading Standards’ annual Consumer Harm Report reveals more consumer detriment prevented and record prison sentences handed down. Report also highlights new and emerging threats facing consumers and businesses.

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Driveway repair fraudster sentenced to five and a half years

30th August 2018 • Posted in

A man has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for defrauding vulnerable and elderly consumers across the country out of at least £300,000 at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court today. The sentencing follows a nationwide case taken by Powys County Council Trading Standards supported by the National Trading Standards Investigation Team Wales.

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Passport service website operator sentenced

2nd August 2018 • Posted in

A man who operated websites which conned consumers out of £1.6m has been handed a one year suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £200,000 within 28 days at Leeds Crown Court today. The sentence comes after he pleaded guilty to breaches of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 following a National Trading Standards investigation.

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Successful project blocks over 100,000 nuisance calls

6th July 2018 • Posted in

Telephone scammers who target vulnerable and elderly consumers with scams and nuisance telephone calls have been stopped in their tracks, with a National Trading Standards project blocking more than 100,000 unwanted calls in less than a year.

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Website Owner Sentenced for Duping Consumers into thinking it was the DVLA

26th June 2018 • Posted in

At Reading Crown Court on 20th June 2018, MICHAEL FREEMAN, 46, of Huntercombe Lane North, Taplow, Maidenhead, was sentenced to 9 months in custody suspended for a period of 2 years after pleading guilty to engaging in an unfair commercial practice in relation to a website www.drivinglicenses.org.uk that consumers thought was the DVLA. In addition the Court set a timetable for confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

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Dreamwell couple ordered to pay £917,287

9th February 2018 • Posted in

A husband and wife from Leeds convicted of consumer protection offences against vulnerable people have been ordered to pay back £917,287 under the Proceeds of Crime Act following a hearing at Leeds Crown Court.

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Call centre trader sentenced for role in computer repair scam

26th January 2018 • Posted in

A call centre trader who misled consumers by claiming to be from Microsoft to carry out computer repairs has today [26 January 2018] been sentenced after pleading guilty to four unfair trading practices. Narendra Harilal Vadgama (age 56 of Babington Road, Barrow upon Soar, LE12 8NH), who traded under the name Internet Security Direct, admitted four charges brought under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

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One million people empowered to tackle scams

24th January 2018 • Posted in

A call to action for individuals, communities, businesses, neighbours and work colleagues to help ‘take a stand against scams’ is being announced by the Government this morning during Take Five to Stop Fraud week. At an event in Westminster it will be confirmed that the Friends Against Scams campaign – run by National Trading Standards to help people spot and report scams – is planning to train up to a million people to be Friends Against Scams by 2020.

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