April 12, 2019 10.24 am This story is over 59 months old

Big money fraudster hit Lincoln bank customers

He managed to taken £152,000 from banking customers
Mabbutt withdrew thousands from across the country. Photo: DCPU

A big money fraudster who targeted customers at a Lincoln bank was jailed for three and a half years.

Julian Mabbut was spotted on CCTV by a specialist fraud prevention unit after he took money from 80 banks and building societies across the country.

The 47-year-old used fake ID to withdraw money from accounts between March 2015 and August 2018.

Mabbutt used fake documents. Photo: DCPU

Over the three year period he managed to take £152,000. Another £113,400 in fraud was prevented after he was spotted by bank staff.

Customers at banks in Lincoln, Grantham and Scunthorpe were all hit by the fraudster.

He also withdraw money from banks in Nottingham, Mansfield, Leicester, Darlington, York, Blackpool, Wigan, Stafford, Hull and Peterborough.

Mabbut would use counterfeit passports and driving licenses which displayed the name of the account holder, but it featured his picture.

He went on a spree. Photo: DCPU

He pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud when he appeared at Inner London Crown Court. Mabbut was sentenced to 42 months in prison.

At the court case, he also pleaded guilty to a further 65 offences which were taken into consideration.

Each of the victims have been fully refunded.

Detective Constable Matthew Cornell, who investigated the case for the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit, said:

“Mabbutt used false ID documents to go on a fraud spree across the UK, withdrawing thousands of pounds from customers’ accounts.

“Working closely with the banking industry, we were able to identify this criminal and bring him to justice.

“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to any would-be fraudsters that they will be caught and punished.”