A London granddad swindled tens of thousands of pounds worth of tech using fake Nigerian passports to take out mobile phone contracts at 02 stores.
Abideni Tajudeen Adegbite, 54, travelled from his home in London to South Wales where he used fraudulent ID documents in a number of phone shops in Newport, Chepstow and Bridgend to take out a number of contracts for Apple Watches and iPhones, WalesOnline reports.
Adegbite targeted 02 stores in Wales and took out phone contracts in a number of different names.
After two successful ventures, he was caught by a shop employee who told his manager about the big purchases. When suspicion was raised it was discovered that a similar incident had happened in another store.
The defendant was finally caught when he attempted to visit a third shop, where he attempted to make another purchase, however, the manager called the police and he was arrested.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard Adegbite attended the 02 shop in Newport Retail Park on December 13 last year and asked about an iPad which he wished to buy for his daughter in university.
He took out contacts for two iPhone 13s and an Apple Watch, and used a Nigerian passport in the name of Bruce Thomas, with an address in Chepstow and the defendant’s photograph. Prosecutor Sophie Keegan said he also produced a bank card in the same name.
The next day on December 14, Adegbite visited the 02 store in Chepstow with a Nigerian passport in the name of Christopher Davidson, with an address in Caldicott, and made the same purchase.
Ms Keegan said:
“One staff member was quite pleased about what had happened and messaged a colleague at another shop, but she was aware of another similar purchase which had taken place.”
On December 15, Adegbite attended the McArthurGlen store, produced another Nigerian passport in the name of David Williams and a credit card in the same name, but the store manager recognised the fraud and called the police.
The total amount taken from 02 stores was in the region of £40,200.
The defendant, of Daniels Road, Southwark, was arrested and made no reply during his interview. He later pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation, possession of false instruments for use of fraud, possession of false ID documents.
The court heard Adegbite had seven previous convictions including fraud, possession of ID documents with intent to fraud, and theft.
Defence barrister Tom Roberts said his client wouldn’t have received all of the money from the stolen goods and would have been given less than £5,000. He said the defendant had been in the UK since the age of 21, but his fraudulent behaviour began in 2014 after a change in immigration status meant he was no longer allowed to work in the UK.
He also said was a father of five children and a grandfather to three children who he helped to care for.
Sentencing Judge Timothy Petts said: “You have developed a lifestyle of committing fraudulent offences. You went to three different shops to buy high-value items and used false passports and bank cards.
“You were prepared to travel considerable distances to try committing fraud. Only immediate custody will do.”