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Scammer: Poppy Eastwood |
A
notorious internet fraudster, who conned online buyers into forking
out for equestrian equipment she never supplied, has avoided prison
with a suspended sentence.
Poppy
Valentine Eastwood, 24, of Pike Close, Bromley lied to customers she
was selling her horse riding tack because she was suffering multiple
sclerosis.
She
pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud by false representation and one
count of acquiring criminal property, namely £10,873.
At
Croydon Crown Court she received six months imprisonment, suspended
for eighteen months, and was ordered to repay her victims £2,403
compensation.
In
2014 she was convicted of selling iPads that never arrived to
facebook customers and the website has a group with 4,000 followers
called: 'Scammed by Poppy Eastwood.'
During
the course of the police investigation, officers from Operation
Falcon, the Met’s Cyber Crime unit, found 46 victims who had
attempted to purchase horse related items from Eastwood at a number
of online market places between 20 January 2014 and 13 November 2014.
Eastwood
would discuss possible transactions with potential customers prior to
a deal being struck.
During
a number of these conversations she falsely claimed to be selling the
riding equipment because she was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.
Typically,
the victim would transfer the funds to purchase the item and await
receipt of the goods.
However,
they never received the goods leaving them out of pocket.
Eastwood
would initially make excuses for non-receipt of the goods but would
eventually cease all contact with the victim.
Detective
Constable Stephen Westlake of Operation Falcon said: “'Eastwood has
defrauded a large number of online buyers who believed that they were
dealing with a genuine seller.
“She
has also pretended to suffer from a life changing illness to gain the
trust of her victims.
“The
effects of becoming a victim of crime run far deeper than the loss of
cash. I hope that Eastwood’s victims gain a measure of closure
following today’s sentence."