The British Transport Police has announced that a train ticket fraudster, who defrauded train companies of more than £40,000, has been jailed for two years.

Thomas William Ingram, aged 34, of Fairfield Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to nine counts of fraud against nine separate train operating companies – he splashed the cash on holidays to Vegas. He was sentenced on Thursday, 19 March, at Preston Crown Court.

The court heard how from 2013 to 2018 Ingram had committed a sophisticated and premeditated fraud.

To start with, Thomas used a chargeback scheme, to pay for rail travel using an account that contained no cash.

In 2016, he then turned to using the Delay Repay compensation scheme to claim back cash for journeys that he had never made. He produced and printed hundreds of fake tickets from his home address, which he then made claims on, to various train companies.

He made more than £40,000 after making claims totalling more than £130,000.

More than £7,300 in cash was seized from his home address when he was arrested and was ordered to be paid back to the train operating companies he had defrauded.

After sentencing, the judge commended the case brought before the court.

A number of printers, laptops and other items used in the commission of the offences were also seized, to be sold to pay more compensation.

What did the officials say?

BTP financial investigator Gary Francis said:

“The Delay Repay scheme makes it easier for passengers to claim compensation when their journey is delayed. Unfortunately, Ingram targeted the scheme over a five-year period to fund his lifestyle, which included multiple trips to Las Vegas.

“This case is testament to the partnership working between BTP and train operating companies and serves as a warning to others that this type of fraudulent activity will be treated seriously and result in prosecution.”

BTP investigating officer, DS Paddy Kerr, said:

“Scams like these don’t just affect train operating companies but also the passengers that use them.

“The Delay Repay compensation scheme was put in place to compensate honest fare-paying members of the travelling public who have genuinely been inconvenienced by delayed trains.

“This isn’t a victimless crime – it is not right that someone should use dishonest means to steal from legitimate companies to fund a lavish lifestyle while impacting on the costs of rail fares for honest, paying passengers.”

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