Stockport sales exec jailed after £22k theft from Lookers Skoda

- Luxury lifestyle funded by fraud

- Spa breaks and handbags

- Judge brands the case as "determined dishonesty" 

A sales advisor at a Skoda dealership in Stockport has been jailed after stealing nearly £22,000 from customers to bankroll luxury holidays, designer goods, and weight loss surgery.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard how Emma Fairbanks, 32, used her position as a sales advisor at a Skoda dealership in Stockport to defraud a total of 55 customers. Her employer, Lookers Skoda, said they fear more victims are yet to be identified.

ITVnews reported how Fairbanks’ scheme came to light when a customer received a letter from finance provider Bumper informing her of multiple missed payments on her account accrued at Lookers Skoda Stockport, to the tune of £1,490, according to prosecutor Megan Horner.

The customer had no knowledge of this company, Bumper, or the debt and contacted Lookers. Further investigation uncovered that Fairbanks had been siphoning funds from unsuspecting customers using various methods.

Horner told the court that she used a number of different methods to disguise her activity, including altering cost estimate documents and directly contacting customers under false pretences, claiming the dealership’s card machine was broken and asking them to transfer money to her personal bank account.

Between June 2022 and May 2023, Fairbanks made deposits totalling £21,987 into her account. Police later found several designer items, various handbags and holiday receipts during a search of her home.

The court also heard that Fairbanks had used one customer’s details to pay for a £550 stay at a luxury spa hotel in Buxton.

Judge Usher said her actions amounted to “premeditated, sophisticated, determined dishonesty,” adding: “Your former employers suffered financially, but it will also impact customers' trust. I believe reputational damage can be as bad as financial loss. One customer, Mr Sargent, has said that he will never use Lookers again.”

Defending, Milena Bennett argued the frauds were not particularly sophisticated, adding that Fairbanks suffers from depression, anxiety and loneliness.

Fairbanks pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

In a statement, Lookers Skoda said: “She was employed in a position of trust to safeguard the company. She exploited this by deceiving customers and making substantial gain for herself. This was to indulge in a lifestyle that could not have been funded by her salary. We are still going through our records and fear there will be more customers like Mr Sargent.”