Fake food poisoning fraudsters face jail

HOLIDAY scammers who falsely claimed compensation for food poisoning may be jailed to prevent a “tsunami of false claims”, a judge said yesterday.

District Judge Jonathan Taffe warned a couple who lied about falling ill while in Turkey that they could face a prison sentence as a deterrent. Leon Roberts and Jade Muzoka from Derby made the claim against the holiday company Thomson, now known as Tui, alleging they had been bedridden with food poisoning. Suspicions arose when the couple uploaded 79 photos of their holiday on social media.

At an earlier hearing Roberts, 38, and Muzoka, 27, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation in relation to their holiday in 2015. Adjourning the case Judge Taffe said it appeared the matter had “crossed” the custody threshold.

He added: “All options are open at this stage and this is a serious case and it may be that a custodial sentence will follow to show the importance of your wrongdoing.”