A trader advertising PlayStation 5 equipment for sale on social media has been sentenced after pleading guilty to fraud and money laundering.

In December 2020, Bradley David Lawrence of 133 Peabody Hill in London, advertised a PS5 console and equipment on Twitter/X that did not really exist.

The conman set up an online bank account to receive funds and tricked a Stourbridge consumer into paying for it twice. Once in receipt of the funds, Lawrence claimed the goods had been posted but failed to provide any proof before blokcing all communications with the would-be buyer.

It was at this stage that Dudley’s Trading Standards team at Dudley Council became involved. It investigated the scam, discovering that there were also other victims.

It was noted that as soon as funds were received by Lawrence, they were then transferred to his normal bank account and withdrawn.

Following guilty pleas, Lawrence appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 3 January 2024 for sentencing, where he was given a 12-month Community Order with 120 hours unpaid work.

He was ordered to pay £1,080 in compensation to the consumer and £500 towards costs, both within 12 months. Councillor Ian Bevan, cabinet member responsible for trading standards, said:

“We have once again shown that we will not hesitate to investigate and act against fraudsters and it is good to see this individual facing the strong arm of the law over his despicable behaviour.

“Unfortunately, there are many fraudulent traders who operate online, which is why we recommend choosing a reputable retailer. If something looks too good to be true, the chances are it probably is.”