Ex-Postmaster Locked Up Over £700,000 Post Office Scam
Four men have been jailed today (27 April) after a massive post office fraud worth over £700,000 was uncovered.
Fraud Scheme Runs Long After Post Office Closure
Manish Parmar, 34, of southampton/" title="Southampton" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Southampton, ran the post office at Goldsmiths (Best One) newsagent in Totton from 2011 to 2014. Even after the post office shut its doors in December 2014, Parmar didn’t stop. Using his insider knowledge and one of the official post office branch stamps, he carried on the scam.
Recruiting to Swindle
From 2015 to early 2016, Parmar “recruited” 11 others to help him. They lent him their bank paying-in slips, which Parmar used to make it seem like the post office was still running. In total, a whopping £701,835 was fraudulently pumped into the bank accounts of Parmar and his accomplices.
Justice Served
Found guilty in January 2018 of fraud and money laundering, Parmar was today sentenced at Southampton Crown Court to six and a half years behind bars.
“My thanks go to everyone involved in this long and complex investigation,” said Police Staff Investigator Jess Swift. “This is a clear warning to anyone who thinks fraud pays – it doesn’t.”
