A former Brookside actor and his associates have been jailed for a total of 23 years by Sheffield Crown Court for their part in a £13.6m fraud that ran for more than eight years.
Former Brookside actor Philip Foster and eight associates had sentences handed down after a six-year investigation by National Trading Standards, whose work uncovered an extensive network of sham modelling agencies that cruelly exploited the dreams of aspiring young models and their parents.
Foster was the ringleader of the operation. He orchestrated the fraud from Spain, using a network of associates based in England who operated a string of sham modelling agencies and photography studios in cities across the country, including London, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Coventry, and Nottingham.
More than 6,000 victims were deceived by the group – mainly young people and mothers – who ended up parting with substantial amounts of money under the false promise of securing paid modelling work.
Judge Dixon said: “The business worked on the basis of greed taking what they could where they could. Some people were so convinced by the level of deception that they took out payday loans, which gives a clear indication as to how manipulative and cynical the fraud was. It was horrible, despicable, dishonest behaviour and every single one of you deserves to go to prison.”
The fraud worked by setting up a photographic studio in the area and running a social media advertising campaign. People who responded were given the false impression that a model agency was interested in them, with emails telling them they had potential. Victims were then invited to a ‘free’ test shoot at the photographic studio, which turned out to be a ruse to try to extort money out of them.
At the test shoot, victims were given a studio experience, handed glossy brochures and told how successful other people had been. They would then be told that they passed their studio test and that modelling agencies were interested, but they needed to purchase their portfolio photographs from the studio in order to join an agency and become an agency model.
Victims were duped by the group who, between them, gave a good impression of running successful model businesses and lied to them about their potential. Millions of pounds were taken from aspiring models, with some coerced into financing the upfront payment through credit deals arranged by the fraudsters or taking out expensive payday loans.
Instead, victims received poor quality digital photographs that stood no real chance of landing them professional jobs. Virtually none of the victims received any paid modelling work.
The sham agencies were often dissolved after short periods, rebranded repeatedly to avoid detection, and paid no tax. Money from the scam was laundered through UK bank accounts before being transferred to Spain or carried in cash on commercial flights by co-conspirators.
The investigation traced substantial sums to Foster, who lived in luxury abroad and purchased high-end watches and cars with the proceeds of the fraud. The investigation heard how many victims, left financially and emotionally devastated, described feeling humiliated and betrayed. Some experienced lasting distress that affected their confidence, wellbeing and their ability to trust others.
The sentences, which were handed down today in the absence of Philip Foster, who is currently living in Spain, are as follows:
- Philip Foster, aged 49, Edificio Marina Mariola, Marbella, Spain, sentenced to 8.5 years for conspiracies to defraud
- Michael Foster, aged 27, Snowdon Lane, Liverpool, sentenced to 3.5 years for conspiracy to defraud
- Paul Evans, aged 39, no known address, sentenced to 3.5 years for offences related to money laundering
- Jamie Peters, aged 52, Pentland Place, Warrington, sentenced to 24 months, suspended for 2 years, for conspiracy to defraud
- Lisa Foster, aged 42, Manchester Road, Astley, sentenced to 18 months, suspended for 12 months, for conspiracy to defraud
- Emily Newall, aged 29, Bolton Road, Kearsley, Greater Manchester, sentenced to 10 months, suspended for 12 months, for conspiracy to defraud
- Atif Qadar, aged 44, Larkswood Drive, Crowthorne, sentenced to 12 months, suspended for 12 months, for conspiracy to defraud
- Paul Fleury, aged 57, Manchester Road, Swinton, Manchester, sentenced to 18 months, suspended for 12 months, for conspiracy to defraud
- Aslihan Foster aged 39, Tredington Road, Coventry, sentenced to 18 months, suspended for 12 months, for an offence related to money laundering
The sentencing follows over 6 years of investigative work by the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, hosted by North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council, including forensic analysis of financial transactions, thousands of consumer complaints, and witness testimony from victims. The team was supported by the National Trading Standards South West Regional Investigations Team, hosted by Bristol City Council.
