Fraudster stole from own mum

AFife swindler stole more than £2,200 from her own mother and used a stranger’s details to spend money on fraudulent store cards. Donna Mccall used her own mother’s bank details to defraud her of £2,251 through purchases on deal site Groupon.

She also opened mail addressed to a previous home occupier and scammed her by using the details to set up credit card accounts in her name.

Mccall fraudulently obtained more than £715 worth of goods from Next, JD Williams and Grattan through her scheme.

Mccall, 39, of Stationhead Road, Lochgelly, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court, having previously pled guilty to four fraud charges.

Fiscal depute Amy Robertson said on May 26 2020 Mccall’s mother went to a local shop to buy food but her bank card was declined.

With the help of a support worker she made inquiries at her bank and a printed statement revealed numerous mystery transactions.

Mccall initially denied making the purchases but then said she must have “accidentally put in the wrong details”.

After a few minutes she admitted making purchases using her mother’s bank details.

The court heard Mccall was rumbled by her other victim who made a mortgage inquiry at her bank but was declined due to her credit score being too low.

Ms Robertson said the woman subsequently found a number of credit cards in her name with “substantial” debt she did not know about.

The woman contacted each of the stores involved and discovered she had overdue balances, prompting her to contact police.

Mccall pled guilty to falsely presenting the personal details of a woman to open and obtain a credit card and fraudulently obtaining goods from three different retailers using the credit card account.

She obtained goods to the value of £355.95 from Grattan, £263.75 from JD Williams and £96 from Next over a period in 2019.

Defence lawyer Jaclyn Robertson said Mccall is “extremely remorseful” for her behaviour and asked for the offences to be dealt with in a manner that allows her client to keep her liberty and pay what she is due the victims.

Sheriff Francis Gill sentenced Mccall to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work.

SENTENCED: Donna Mccall pled guilty to four fraud charges.