Fourteen people have been convicted for conspiracy to defraud customers when selling satellite television cover plans after an investigation by Trading Standards.
The group of fraudsters sold victims Sky insurance cover plans they did not need, misleading people about the nature of cover and selling multiple policies for the same thing to the same customer.
Contracts sold by the scammers varied in price from between £69.99 and £99.99 without any explanation for the difference.
Recorded calls
Swansea Council's Trading Standards became aware of the scam after several hundred complaints from customers all over the United Kingdom were received about illegal businesses trading under a variety of names including Aurora Logistics, Cable Guy and 1st Choice Satellites.
Evidence revealed through recorded calls that were recovered by Trading Standards in the course of their investigation confirmed that victims were coerced into taking out a cover plan or in renewing an existing plan using telesales techniques that were bullying, dishonest and misleading.
Secured convictions
Cllr June Burtonshaw, Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Place, said: "When this matter came to our attention as a result of complaints from consumers in Swansea and throughout the UK, it was evident that members of the public were being conned and misled.
"There was also evidence that the victims of the scam were frequently older and vulnerable people, so we were obliged to take action to protect the public and the good name of Swansea.
"We were pleased to secure convictions against the 14 people who were responsible for this scam. Sentencing is a matter for the judiciary who recognised the cynical manner in which victims were taken advantage of through cold call telesales, but I'm aware that in passing sentence the judge wished to send out a message making it clear that scams and dishonesty of this nature cannot be tolerated”
Sentencing was concluded following a long investigation which saw the Council bring charges against seventeen people who had posed as telesales agents for Sky.
Eight of the convicted defendants received prison sentence which totalled 23 years between them and the remaining 6 received suspended sentences combined with community service orders to undertake unpaid work.
For further information please visit the Swansea Council's Trading Standards website.
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To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
