Mother and son caught in £12,000 rail fraud

Andrew Hopper, 26, used more than 90 different aliases to write to rail companies over four years asking for payment and when he received cheques he passed them to his mother Brenda, 57.

Police investigations showed she then passed the cheques through bank accounts she was operating. in a bid to cover the activities of the son, who was a PhD student at Sheffield University.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how Hopper was arrested on July 30 2009 in Doncaster railway station’s first class lounge, after rail staff became suspicious of him.

He had attracted their attention because he was using a privilege pass provided by train operator National Express to companies spending large amounts on rail tickets.

When he was searched, a number of rail tickets disabled rail cards and envelopes containing receipts and money-off vouchers were discovered.

Investigating officer DC Bob Hunt said Hopper had used three addresses, including his mother’s address in Tickhill Road, Balby, Doncaster, to make the claims to defraud eight different rail firms.

He added: “This was a lengthy investigation which involved scrutinising hundreds of compensation claims made by the Hoppers and financial records from the train operators.

“Hopper, with the assistance of his mother, ran a sophisticated and well planned scam which defrauded rail companies of thousands of pounds.

“The timescale of his offending clearly demonstrated his belief that he could continue to offend without fear of detection.”

Andrew Hopper was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty
to fraud, while his mother was given a six-month suspended sentence and order to observe a curfew.