Man jailed for £100,000 fraud targeting elderly and vulnerable people

A 30-year-old man has been sentenced after targeting elderly vulnerable people in a £100,000 fraud.

James Trodd, 30, of no fixed address, handed himself in following a Crimewatch appeal, after being wanted for more than two years.

Trodd, also known as James Harland and Martin Ashbrook, facilitated the transfer of tens of thousands of pounds from victims’ bank accounts between September 2022 and August last year, when he was arrested.  

Operation Glasshouse saw police link frauds across Sussex and the south east of England and Trodd was charged with 17 counts of fraud by representation.

After Trodd made contact with victims as a customer, tenant or through befriending, he used their bank accounts to obtain credit cards, made money transfers, pay for hire cars and opened accounts in their names, leaving some victims left in arrears and unable to pay their bills. 

He was jailed for six years nine months at Lewes Crown Court on 16 April, for what the judge described as the worse example of fraud he had seen.  

Detective Sergeant Paul Elrick said: “This was a protracted and complex investigation into James Trodd, a serial fraudster, who preyed on the elderly and vulnerable.

“My heartfelt thanks go to the victims, witnesses, those who supported from Enable and Nationwide, and to all the banks involved, for their efforts in helping secure a conviction. The police will always work with banks to target those who prey on elderly victims to support their own greedy lifestyle.”