Scots fraudsters who conned hard-up families in 'horrific' voucher scam jailed

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Two fraudsters carried out a voucher scam affecting hard-up families. David McSherry, 33, and Susan Paterson, 24, conned victims in Glasgow’s Gorbals who believed the pair had actually been helping them.The crooked duo claimed to be employees of a housing organisation.

McSherry and Paterson then used personal information to illegally claim £2,400 in benefits.Some of the victims were hit after they were told they had used their voucher allocation as a result of being targeted.

Both pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to fraud spanning between January and March 2022.McSherry, of Sandyhills, who also admitted racially abusing a man, was jailed for 13 months.Sheriff Allan McKay said the fraud was "horrific." He added: "It's quite frankly astonishing that you both got together and devised a scheme that removes from the most needy people in our society from the little they get from our government to stave off hunger and poverty."It is absolutely disgraceful and the custodial threshold has been met."Paterson, of Cranhill, had sentence further deferred until April.A written narrative handed to the sheriff stated that it was Paterson who came up with the scheme.

Residents of the Wheatley Group and Glasgow Housing Association in financial trouble could exchange food, gas or electricity vouchers for groceries or cash them in for money.Paterson contacted McSherry to alert him and planned to collect the details of those involved to claim vouchers for themselves.The pair used personal Facebook accounts to contact claimants as well as get information on people close to them such as family members.The narrative said: "They made over 100 calls where they obtained or attempted to obtain vouchers in their own names and that of other