A convicted fraudster shouted “I’m free” after being spared prison, despite criminally obtaining bank details of innocent victims.
Sena Adamah left court with a smile on his face after he was handed a suspended sentence for his part in a currency scam in Nottingham.
He and other members of the group used other people’s identities to order and then attempt to collect euros and dollars from bureau de changes across Nottingham.
Adamah was caught when a cashier became suspicious of one transaction and called the police.
The defendant’s friend at the scene, Ta’wanna Daley, said: “I’m in so much trouble, I am a student nurse, this is going to ruin my life.”
Recorder Luke Blackburn, who sentenced the pair, said: “Both of you are now only 21 years old and you are not fully mature.
“I note with some sadness you are both intelligent young people each studying to better yourselves.
“You were both knowingly part of a sophisticated and planned scheme but others had a more sophisticated involvement.”
The prosecution said that the three counts of fraud took place in Nottingham three days apart in October 2024.
Eunice Gedzah, prosecuting, said that foreign currency was ordered from bank cards criminally obtained from innocent victims and on the first two occasions Adamah went to the Marks and Spencer travel bureau in Albert Street.
She said: “Sena Adamah collected the currency on October 26, but in fact the genuine cardholder – who was a woman – resided in Edinburgh.
“She had been deceived by phone into providing her M&S card and TSB account details at the beginning of October 2024. She has since been reimbursed by the bank.”
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Ms Gedzash said Adamah returned to the same bureau to collect $2,940, which she said was the equivalent of £2,491.52.
She said: “The true holder of that card was (a woman) in Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, but the order was flagged as fraudulent to prevent the money from being collected.”
Daley then attempted to collect the money, but unbeknownst to her, the transaction had already been flagged.
The prosecutor continued: “Upon attendance by the police Daley claimed she was trying to collect monies on behalf of her mother and that she and her mother have different last names which was why she could not collect it.
“She was asked to call her mother but was seen typing something into her phone.
“In fact she was contacting someone else and telling them to pretend to be her mother and had stored them as ‘Mum’ in her phone.
“The officer challenged her when the person on the phone appeared to pretend it was a bad line.
“She had sent a snapchat message reading ‘Call me quick and pretend to be my mum’.
“She was arrested and said ‘I’m in so much trouble, I am a student nurse, this is going to ruin my life’.”
Adamah was handed a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years and 120 hours of unpaid work after he pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud.
Daley pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and was handed a 25-week prison sentence, also suspended for 128 months, and was given 50 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation sessions.
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