A mum conned people out of £186,000 by promising them huge PPI refunds
Emma Meredith Hughes, 33, of Pontyclun, defrauded 500 people including
Thomas DeaconSenior reporter
500 people were affected (Image: John Stillwell/PA Wire)
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A mum conned hundreds of people in a massive PPI fraud.
Emma Meredith Hughes defrauded 500 people out of £186,000, a spokesman for Rhondda Cynon Taf council said.
The 33-year-old promised to get people huge refunds through her company NM Training Ltd.
The company also gave approximate figures for the amounts that anyone signing up could receive.
Some of the people affected included the elderly and vulnerable. In total 500 people made the payments she requested to NM Training totalling £170,000.
Ministry of Justice regulations state upfront payments can only be requested once a person has seen and agreed the full terms and conditions of their claim.
Further offences were committed when some of the "customers" were contacted a second time and informed their "High Claims Court" claim had been successful, but further payment would be needed to release the funds.
This led to a further £17,000 being paid out, bringing the total sum of the fraud to £186,427.57
A company which made 15 million automated nuisance PPI calls has been fined £250,000
The case was heard before Merthyr Crown Court, sitting in Cardiff Crown Court (pictured) (Image: South Wales Echo)
Hughes, of Heol Miles, Pontyclun, was charged with "carrying on a business or company with intent to defraud creditors or for other fraudulent purposes".
She admitted the offence and appeared before Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on November 12 for sentencing.
Hughes was jailed for 40 months and was banned from being able to act as a director for 10 years by Judge Thomas Crowther QC.
She was also issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order, prohibiting her from operating within the claims management industry for 10 years.
In court in November, Hughes' defence is understood to have told the court the business was used for cash flow, not to fund a lavish lifestyle and that she was naive and the way the business was run was "chaotic".
A spokesman for Rhondda Cynon Taf council said she denied targeting the elderly, saying the business was random and used a random dialling system using landlines.
The court was also told the money taken was put back into the business and accounts show it has a loss of £6,000.
Her defence said that the offending itself is dated as Hughes was arrested in relation to it in 2015.
She told the court she accepts responsibility and does have remorse for what has happened.
She submitted two references in relation to her character, mentioning her charitable work.
Greedy accountant earning £80,000 a year scammed his own mum out of £50,000
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council director of public health, protection and community services Paul Mee said: "This was a complex and lengthy case involving someone with previous convictions for costing residents money and providing a less than lawful business.
"In this case, people were told not only were they guaranteed a payment, they were told what that payment would be and asked to pay an upfront fee based on that. Then asked to pay out further to release the fake funds.
"It was only with the support of our officers and community services that we were able to get some of the money back for the victims, using their bank protections."
Talbot Green