1/1 TOP hotels across Cumbria were targeted by an audacious fraud gang whose members repeatedly used stolen credit cards to cream off illegal profits of almost £14,000. Over the course of three days, the criminals involved toured hotels in north, west and south Cumbria, systematically scamming each one out of hundreds of pounds as they used a series of stolen bank cards. At Carlisle Crown Court yesterday, the leader of the group was given a 20 month jail term for her role in the scam. Sonia Malhi, 39, whose criminal record already included 42 previous frauds and 36 thefts, pleaded guilty to a catalogue of crime. She admitted two counts of conspiring to commit fraud as well as shoplifting, possessing cocaine, and possessing a knuckle-duster.
TOP hotels were targeted by an audacious fraud gang whose members repeatedly used stolen credit cards to cream off illegal profits of almost £14,000. Over the course of three days, the criminals involved toured hotels across the Lake District and Cumbria, systematically scamming each one out of hundreds of pounds as they used a series of stolen bank cards. At Carlisle Crown Court yesterday, the leader of the group was given a 20 month jail term for her role in the scam. Sonia Malhi, 39, whose criminal record already included 42 previous frauds and 36 thefts, pleaded guilty to a catalogue of crime. She admitted two counts of conspiring to commit fraud as well as shoplifting, possessing cocaine, and possessing a knuckle-duster.