A FORMER Brookside star who scammed aspiring models out of £13.6million through a fake agency has been jailed.
Philip Foster, 49, targeted more than 6,000 young girls and their families across an eight year period, leaving them in “serious debt”.
Brookside actor Phillip Foster was sentenced after scamming aspiring models out of money[/caption]
The former actor played Christian Wright in soap opera Brookside, alongside his on-screen ex-wife Rachel Wright, portrayed by Tiffany Chapman.
But Sheffield Crown Court heard today how he stole large amounts from his victims through the fraudulent Spanish-based company.
His scam began by enticing hopeful models into fake agencies and photography studios based in London, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Coventry and Nottingham.
The victims were emailed twisted lies about their potential after being drawn in by false social media advertisements.
They would be told a modelling agency wanted to work with them and invited to a “free” test shoot.
A six year NTS investigation uncovered how the models were told they’d passed the initial studio round, but would have to fork out more for professional photographs.
These would be necessary for an agency to sign them, and secure jobs, it was said.
Some victims even used credit deals arranged by the scammers or took out loans to make the upfront payment.
But instead of securing their dreams, they were given poor quality digital photographs and no paid modelling opportunities.
Victims reported going through serious financial and emotional distress.
Meanwhile Foster, who set himself up with a lavish base in Marbella, splurged on luxury cars and flash watches.
The fake agencies paid no tax and would dissolve and rebrand after a very short amount of time.
Money was laundered through UK bank accounts before being sent back to Spain.
Sometimes large sums were transported in cash on commercial flights by co-conspirators, the NTS said.
Foster, of Marbella, Spain, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to defraud at Sheffield Crown Court – although he failed to appear in the dock,
Meanwhile eight of his associates were also sentenced for the same offence and on money laundering charges.
Michael Foster, 27, was handed three-and-a-half years while Jamie Peters, 52, received a suspended 24-month prison sentence.
Lisa Foster, 42, was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence, Emily Newall, 29, was slapped with a 10-month suspended prison sentence while Atif Qadar, 44, got a suspended 12-month prison sentence.
Each of them was convicted of conspiracy to defraud.
Paul Fleury, 57, was sentenced to 18-months, suspended for 12 months, for conspiracy to defraud.
Aslihan Foster, 39, received a suspended 18-month prison sentence, while Paul Evans, 39 got a three-and-a-half year suspended prison sentence after they were both convicted of offences related to money laundering.
Lord Bichard, NTS chairman, said that Foster’s “cruel exploits left thousands of victims in serious debt, causing lasting emotional distress and significant financial pressures”.
Greg White, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for managing our environment added: “Foster and his fellow scammers cruelly exploited young hopefuls trying to break into one of the most competitive industries.
“In some cases, parents borrowed money or sacrificed savings, believing they were investing in their children’s futures.
“I urge anyone searching online for modelling opportunities to remember that legitimate agencies don’t ask for money upfront, it’s often only scam agencies who push expensive photoshoots as a prerequisite to getting work.”
Councillor Jenny Kent, of City of York Council, said: “Mr Foster and his associates made millions by exploiting the hopes of young people, leaving a trail of broken dreams and financial hardship.”
How to protect yourself from scams
BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam:
- Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is.
- Check brands are “verified” on Facebook and Twitter pages – this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile.
- Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, consider whether it’s written in your friend’s normal style.
- If you’re invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine?
- To be on the really safe side, don’t click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
- Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware.
- If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it.
- If you think you’ve fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online fraud reporting tool.
Eight associates were also sentenced today[/caption]
