Former Brookside Actor Philip Foster Jailed for Masterminding £13.6m Modelling Scam

Image credits: NTS/PA

A former TV soap actor, Philip Foster, has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for masterminding a £13.6m fraud that targeted aspiring models. Foster, 49, ran an operation involving a network of sham modelling agencies for more than eight years, leaving over 6,000 victims in serious debt and causing lasting emotional distress. The scam, which was uncovered in a six-year investigation by National Trading Standards (NTS), involved Foster using a network of associates in England to operate a string of sham modelling agencies and photography studios in cities including London, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Coventry, and Nottingham.

The victims were duped into thinking that a model agency was interested in them after they responded to a local photographic studio and social media advertising campaign. They were invited to a "free" test shoot at the photographic studio, where they were told they had to buy their portfolio photographs from the studio in order to join an agency and become a model. Some of them used credit deals arranged by the fraudsters or expensive payday loans to make the upfront payment. In return, the victims got poor quality digital photographs that stood no real chance of landing them professional jobs, and most did not get paid modelling work. Foster bought high-end watches and cars with his share of the proceeds, while many victims said they had been left financially and emotionally devastated and felt humiliated and betrayed.

The sham agencies, which paid no tax, existed for short periods before being dissolved and repeatedly rebranded. Money from the scam was laundered through UK bank accounts before being transferred to Spain or carried in cash on commercial flights by co-conspirators, the NTS said. Lord Michael Bichard, the NTS chair, said Foster’s "cruel exploits left thousands of victims in serious debt, causing lasting emotional distress and significant financial pressures". The victims were targeted through a network of fake modelling agencies and photography studios, and were told that they had to pay for professional photographs in order to secure modelling work. However, the photographs were of poor quality and did not lead to any paid modelling opportunities.

Here are some key points about the scam: * Over 6,000 victims were targeted by the scam * The scam involved a network of sham modelling agencies and photography studios * Victims were told they had to pay for professional photographs in order to secure modelling work * The photographs were of poor quality and did not lead to any paid modelling opportunities * Foster and his associates made millions of pounds from the scam, which was laundered through UK bank accounts and transferred to Spain. The investigation into the scam was led by the NTS, and involved a thorough examination of the sham modelling agencies and photography studios. The NTS worked with other agencies to gather evidence and build a case against Foster and his associates.

Foster’s associates were also convicted of conspiracy to defraud and sentenced. Michael Foster, 27, of Liverpool, was jailed for three and a half years, while Jamie Peters, 52, of Warrington, received a suspended 24-month prison sentence. Lisa Foster, 42, of Astley, Greater Manchester, was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence, Emily Newall, 29, of Kearsley, Greater Manchester, was given a 10-month suspended prison sentence, while Atif Qadar, 44, of Crowthorne, Berkshire, got a suspended 12-month prison sentence. Paul Fleury, 57, of Swinton, Manchester, received an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. Meanwhile, Aslihan Foster, 39, of Coventry, received a suspended 18-month prison sentence, and Paul Evans, 39, of no known address, got a three-and-a-half year suspended prison sentence after they were both convicted of offences related to money laundering.