Burton woman sentenced after admitting more than 30 counts of fraud

A 29-year-old woman from Burton has been sentenced after admitting more than 30 counts of fraud.

Hayley McKay, of Elizabeth Avenue, Rolleston-on-Dove, was sentenced to three years and eight weeks in jail after committing 32 counts of fraud against 11 people between July 2017 and January 2021.

Sergeant Amy Martin from Staffordshire Police said: “Over a three and a half year period, McKay defrauded a number of innocent people out of money and items, taking advantage of their good nature and trust.

“She would tend to meet these people on a range of dating apps or on Facebook and would spend time befriending them and gaining their trust before asking for favours.

“McKay would come up with a number of excuses as to why she needed the help but these favours would normally involve selling an item for her on eBay or getting access to a PayPal account.

“When those she asked agreed to help, McKay would obtain their bank details and use them to set up accounts on betting website and for credit cards. She would also ask for money to be sent to her as she claimed to be struggling for cash.

“On one occasion, she even asked one of her victims to lie to the police on her behalf. The tactics McKay used made her victims feel like they had no other option as she would come across as genuine and friendly. She played to their good nature and left those she targeted short of thousands of pounds.

“We are pleased with the court’s decision and hope that McKay uses this time to contemplate her actions and the financial and mental impact she’s had on those she’s targeted.”