Online shopping fraudsters forced to pay back £100,000 after being pursued by South Yorkshire Police
Patrick and Michael Stokes were found guilty of using fraudulent vehicle adverts to deceive buyers, including in South Yorkshire, back in 2020.
The perpetrators of a large-scale online shopping have been ordered to repay nearly £100,000 earned through their criminal activities.
Patrick and Michael Stokes were found guilty of using fraudulent vehicle adverts to deceive buyers, including in South Yorkshire, back in 2020.
Prospective buyers would transfer deposits to provided bank accounts, then be falsely directed to random addresses to collect non-existent vehicles.
Investigations revealed that numerous bank account holders functioned as 'money mules.'
An estimated 90 money mules were involved in the crimes, and over 300 victims were defrauded a combined total of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Patrick and Michael Stokes were imprisoned for two-and-a-half years in November 2025.
Patrick Stokes, aged 36, from Rookes Crescent, Chelmsford, must pay £97,340.17
Michael Stokes, aged 31, from Oakmount Road, Eastleigh, must pay £1,347
Some of the cash recovered will be returned to the victims, with the rest being reinvested in tackling crime.