Man, 40, convicted of £10,000 fraud

A 40-year-old man has been convicted of defrauding a vulnerable adult who thought he was a friend out of £10,000.

In April 2023, a man living in Northampton town centre was visited by a family friend he had recently reconnected with - Mark Andrew Brian Forward.

During the visit, Forward asked the man for money as he was behind on his rent and the man kindly offered to loan him about £250.

However, what he didn’t know was that during the visit, Forward had stolen banking documents from him and using these documents, managed to gain access to the victim’s bank account.

He had then made a number of cash withdrawals and electronic transfers which totalled approximately £10,000.   

The victim first became aware of Forward’s crimes when he was unable to use his bank card and after contact with the bank, realised that a large amount of money was missing from his account.

The incident was reported to Northamptonshire Police and an investigation led by the Force’s Economic Crime Unit led to Forward being identified as the offender.

He was arrested and subsequently charged with fraud by false representation and theft.

Forward pleaded guilty to the offences at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on February 24 and will next appear at Northampton Crown April 7 to be sentenced.

Complex Fraud Investigator Detective Constable Britt Bailey said: “What’s really sad about this case is that the victim thought Mark Forward was a friend. He lent him money willingly to help him with his rent and Forward repaid his kindness by stealing thousands of pounds from him.

“I’m really pleased that Forward has admitted these offences and I hope he spends time reflecting on his actions. He could have had a friend for life in our victim but instead he chose to steal from him.

“I hope this conviction gives the victim in this case a bit of closure and I would like to thank him and his support network for all their assistance throughout our investigation.”