Facebook fraudsters jailed for £70,000 scam

Two men who using a fake banking app to trick 27 unsuspecting sellers into handing over expensive items have been sentenced in Cardiff.

Bernie McDonagh, 20, and Thomas McDonagh, 23, admitted to securing fraudulently obtained goods worth nearly £70,000 between January 2023 and September 2023.

Spanning across six police service areas – Gwent, South Wales, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Avon and Somerset and Dyfed-Powys – the pair would contact people selling items on Facebook marketplace, initially under the name ‘Rosemary Baker’, before switching to other aliases.

On collection of the items, they would use a fake banking app to generate a false transfer complete message and then leave with the goods without the payment ever being made.

CCTV enquiries captured the McDonough’s at various CeX stores – a store where people can buy and sell second-hand goods – selling on the items, including smartphones, laptops, and luxury watches, that they had fraudulently obtained.

Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation earlier this year and were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday 21 May.

Bernie McDonagh received a sentence of 18 months in prison while Thomas McDonagh was jailed for 19 months.

Officers in charge, DC Benjamin Phillips and DC Matthew Emberton, said: “The McDonagh’s travelled up and down the Southwest of the country taking advantage of innocent members of the public simply trying to sell their unwanted items online.

“They were brazen in their approach, encouraging the unsuspecting sellers to take photos of the fake bank transfer messages along with photographs of the defendants themselves and their car, it an attempt to mask their deceit.

“We’d recommend that anyone selling items online to request cash or PayPal. If you are happy to accept a bank transfer, wait for the funds to clear before handing over the goods.  Do you research and check reviews on sites like eBay, Vinted and Depop.”

A third man, Patrick O’Brien, was arrested as part of this investigation, however over the course of the enquiry died so the case against him was discontinued.

A 17-year-old boy also received a four-month Referral Order at Cardiff Youth Court for his involvement last year.

More advice on buying and selling online is available here.

To report online fraud, visit the Report Fraud site here.