Woman stole £300,000 from holidaymakers to pay children's private school fees

A Portsmouth holiday firm director has been sentenced to 33 months in prison after admitting to defrauding customers of close to £300,000.

Shelley Simpson, 46, entered a guilty plea at Portsmouth Crown Court yesterday to fraudulent trading charges relating to her company Sphere Events Ltd.

The Hilsea resident, who lived on Westwood Road, ran the scheme between 2019 and 2022, according to Portsmouth Trading Standards.

More than 90 people fell victim to the scam, paying for luxury holidays and event tickets that were never actually arranged.

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Simpson operated what prosecutors described as a Ponzi-style scheme, using upfront payments from new customers to settle existing debts.

To maintain the deception, she created fraudulent booking confirmations and falsified bank statements suggesting payments had been processed, the prosecution stated.

Rather than securing the holidays her clients had paid for, Simpson diverted the funds elsewhere.

Portsmouth Trading Standards revealed the money went towards covering business liabilities, funding private school fees, and personal expenditures.

Her fraudulent operation continued for three years before finally collapsing, leaving dozens of customers without the trips they had paid for.

Customers believed they were securing bargain getaways to sought-after destinations, including Barbados and the Maldives.

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Many had saved for significant occasions such as honeymoons or once-in-a-lifetime family trips.

The reality proved devastating when the fraud unravelled.

Some travellers only realised their bookings were fictitious after they had already departed for their destinations.

These holidaymakers found themselves stranded overseas, forced to pay additional sums to salvage their trips.

The emotional toll was considerable, with victims left facing both significant distress and substantial financial losses.

In certain cases, individuals found themselves tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket due to Simpson's deception.

Portsmouth City Council has confirmed it will pursue the recovery of funds for victims through proceeds of crime proceedings.

Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, condemned Simpson's conduct.

"Simpson's actions took advantage of people who had saved hard for dream holidays, honeymoons and once-in-a-lifetime trips," he said.

"She left some victims stranded abroad, facing significant emotional distress and, in some cases, tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket."

With the summer holiday season approaching, Lord Bichard urged consumers to exercise caution with offers that appear too good to be true, to consult independent reviews, and to report any concerns to Citizens Advice.

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