Cheque fraudster who targeted Mansfield and Chesterfield banks jailed

A convicted criminal who committed over £115,000 of cheque fraud at bank branches across the UK, including in Mansfield, has been jailed today at Inner London Crown Court.
Colin Mosdell, 33Colin Mosdell, 33
Colin Mosdell, 33

Colin Mosdell, 33, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and was sentenced to 27 months in prison.

This follows a successful investigation by the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU), a specialist police unit sponsored by the banking and finance industry.

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Mosdell used counterfeit drivers’ licenses, as well as cheques featuring fake signatures to impersonate business customers and fraudulently withdraw money from their accounts.

Colin Mosdell, 33Colin Mosdell, 33
Colin Mosdell, 33

Mosdell committed almost £32,000 of fraud at Lloyd's bank branch in Mansfield on 28 and 29 November 2018.

CCTV footage of the fraudster visiting the branch reveal he was smartly dressed as he tried to persuade bank branch staff in that he was a genuine customer.

Separate attempts to commit fraud at a branch in Lincoln on July 17, 2018 and in Chesterfield on October 8, 2018 were both blocked by staff.

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In total Mosdell stole £115,064 between October 15 2017 and December 23 2018, making a series of withdrawals worth between £1000 and £5,000 at 18 bank branches across the country.

Colin Mosdell, 33Colin Mosdell, 33
Colin Mosdell, 33

A total of £21,670 of attempted withdrawals by the fraudster were successfully prevented by bank branch staff.

The fraud was spotted by Lloyds Bank and referred to the DCPCU, which then investigated the case.

All victims were fully refunded.

The DCPCU tracked Mosdell down and arrested him in Northampton on March 12.

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By the time of his arrest he was wanted by four police forces across the country.

A search of the flat in Northampton that Mosdell was residing in at the time found a series hand-written notes with fake signatures on them.

Colin Mosdell, originally from Northamptonshire, has a previous conviction for burglary and robbery from August 2016 and another conviction for 21 burglaries from 2011.

Detective Constable Alex Coubrough, who investigated the case for the DCPCU, said:“Mosdell was a prolific offender who thought he could make easy money from fraud. He travelled the length and breadth of the country, using sophisticated fake documents to defraud businesses out of over £100,000.

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“Working closely with the banking industry we were able to identify this repeat fraudster and bring him to justice. This sentence sends a strong message that banks and the police take fraud extremely seriously and those responsible will be caught and punished.”

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