Jailed, law firm fraudster behind £250k Apple con
Nicola Eccleson claimed that she could get devices such as iPhones and iPads for as little as £100 – but actually paid full price.
The 36-year-old took small amounts of money from a few ‘customers’ and delivered the items they requested, prompting them, and others to pay her tens of thousands of pounds for more gadgets.
She took the money but never delivered all the goods and did not give full refunds.
In the year-long scam Eccleson, from Erskine, Renfrewshire, conned her 14 victims out of a total of £237,885.
She told them that she was entitled to discounts as a £20,000-a-year legal secretary at Glasgow law firm TLT Solicitors under their ‘friends and family’ scheme.
Those she took money from – almost £40,000 in one case – included her own friends, her brother’s best friend and her husband’s uncle.
But her scheme began to unravel in August 2013 when the head of TLT Solicitors, Thomas McEntegart, received a phone call from one of Eccleson’s victims. Mr McEntegart said the ‘friends and family’ scheme did not exist and told the caller to contact the police – leading to the investigation into Eccleson’s scam.
Last month at Paisley Sheriff Court, she pleaded guilty to obtaining the money by forming a fraudulent scheme between August 1, 2012, and August 31, 2013.
Sentence was deferred until yesterday for reports.
Defence solicitor Des Finnieston told the court: ‘My client never made any material gain from these offences.
‘She did it for the kudos and to make herself appear to be able to get great deals for friends and family.’
But Sheriff David Pender said he found it ‘rather hard to believe’ that Eccleson – who
‘She did it for the kudos’
moved to Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, after her scam unravelled – never made any money from the fraud.
Passing sentence, he said: ‘Due to the sums of money involved, I have no other option but that of a custodial sentence.’
A group of Eccleson’s victims cheered so loudly at the news she was being jailed that they were ejected from court.
Their bid for compensation was rejected the sheriff, who told Eccleson: ‘To award compensation I must be satisfied that you have the means to pay it and I’m not satisfied that you do.
‘This doesn’t mean that the victims can’t pursue a civil case.’