100,000 Nectar point fraudster from Scarborough sentenced

A man who stole a wallet and used a supermarket loyalty card inside to spend nearly 100,000 reward points has been sentenced.

David Samuel Arthur Osbourne, 34, of Victoria Road, Scarborough, admitted theft and fraud, and was sentenced to a 12-month community order at York Crown Court.

On 14 April 2017, a man lost his wallet while shopping in Scarborough. He reported the loss to the police.

Later the same day a Nectar card from the wallet was used in Sainsbury’s on Falsgrave Road in two separate transactions, to purchase items worth a total of £482 – using up 96,500 points.

Receipts showed the points were used to buy items including three mobile phones, steak, pet food and chocolates – and the card was left with a balance of less than £20 (3,622 points). The store is covered by CCTV, and a suspect using the card was captured on camera. He was subsequently recognised by officers.

Osbourne was arrested on 26 May 2017, and subsequently charged with theft of the wallet and two counts of fraud by false representation, for using a Nectar card in the name of someone else.

PC Liam Cromack, of Scarborough Police, who led the investigation, said:

Osbourne pleaded guilty at Scarborough Magistrates Court on 8th June, and on 29th June at York Crown Court he was sentenced to a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85.