Judge slams mum’s ‘mean’ web scam

AN OLDHAM mum who was thousands of pounds in debt, sold phantom mobile phones and concert tickets on the internet in an attempt to hide her problems from her husband.

Lynn Barker (32) conned internet buyers who posted “wanted” notes on websites for mobile phones, computers and concert tickets, claiming she had exactly what they were looking for.

Once she had their cash however, they never heard from her again.

Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court was told that Barker, who has a three-year-old child, naively funnelled her ill-gotten gains into her own bank account and used her own email address making it inevitable she would be caught.

When arrested by police, she admitted she had used the scam so many times, she couldn’t remember them all.

Sentencing her, judge Timothy Mort told her: “These were mean offences, and it is remarkable how easy they were to commit.

“Many of these people may have been in the same position as you were, and were trying to find these items at prices they could afford.”

He said: “It was very straightforward fraud. You just offered people what they wanted and they stupidly handed over money without getting the goods.”

He added: “The moral of the story is you should have sought help with your debt problems before embarking on criminal activity.”

He told her, however, that because she had no previous convictions, he felt able to punish her with a 12-month community order, which includes carrying out 150 hours unpaid work in the community.

Barker, of Jenny Street, Hollinwood, had pleaded guilty to 10 offences of taking money by false representation, and asked for a further five similar offences to be taken into consideration.

The court was told that she had accumulated debts of around £9,000 which she hid from her husband, and had been unable to pay off.

Mark Fireman, defending, said her husband had known absolutely nothing of either the debts she had built up, or her money-making con, until he saw details of her magistrates court appearance in the Chronicle.



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