Fraudster hit post offices in currency scam (From Worcester News)

Fraudster hit post offices in currency scam

12:10am Thursday 25th October 2012 in News

Fraudster hit post offices in currency scam

A WORCESTER sub-post office was targeted in a foreign currency exchange scam, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

Damien Fell was involved in a fraud operation that involved him exchanging devalued foreign banknotes for sterling, by using a false passport and forged Post Office forms.

Fell, aged 29, of Hillmeads Road, Birmingham, admitted charges of defrauding sub-post offices in Lower Broadheath as well as Painswick and Paganhill in Gloucestershire.

He also admitted four offences of possessing articles for use in fraud – Bulgarian currency, false currency order confirmation forms, two passports, and a laptop computer programmed with a template for the currency forms.

Julian Kesner, prosecuting, said that on July 1, 2010, Fell went to Painswick and Paganhill post offices and obtained cash by exchanging worthless Bulgarian Lev notes using a forged foreign currency order confirmation form and a forged passport.

He repeated the operation on July 8 at Lower Broadheath post office. The total fraudulently obtained amounted to £1,364.02.

Fell was arrested on July 29 after an attempt to defraud a sub-post office in Cornwall.

Iain Suggett, defending, said Fell was a man of previous good character and he presented 11 letters containing character references to the judge, Recorder Michael de Navarro.

Fell was sentenced to 28 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, ordered to do 150 hours’ unpaid work and to undergo supervision for 12 months.

He also had to pay £1,364.02 compensation to the post offices.