Claire Miller was today sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court for using the internet and newspapers to advertise fraudulent services for recruitment, escorts and chaperones. Miller pleaded guilty on 2 October 2012 to running these fraudulent adverts between 2007 and 2012.
Andrew West, Crown Advocate for the CPS Central Fraud Division, said:
“Claire Miller amassed nearly £1.9 million from fraudulent companies such as ‘Ford Escort Services.’
“Miller’s tactics were wily as she knew that those applying for jobs as escorts and chaperones were less likely to make a complaint to the police when the £250 administration fee they paid vanished into thin air.
“Miller used money she fraudulently amassed to fund a lavish lifestyle, regularly travelling between the UK, Spain and Gibraltar. She purchased designer jewellery and was the owner of a Mercedes Benz M Class. When police searched her property they found 33 pairs of designer shoes, most still in the wrappers, and 11 designer handbags.
“This case shows that before handing over money, people need to know exactly what they’re paying for and how they are protected.”
Background: To date 40 victims have been identified. But the court was told that given the amount of money taken from each person, and the total amount gained in the fraud, it was estimated that Claire Miller has defrauded over 7,000 people in a five year period.
