Bank cash swindler fined for scam

A TRICKSTER who tried to cheat two banks in the Highlands out of hundreds of pounds ended up being fined £2,000 at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Andre Rostas was warned that if he appeared in a Scottish court again, the consequences would be serious.

Rostas (21), from Thornton Heath, Croydon, admitted using a fraudulent scheme by sleight of hand, distraction and confusion commonly referred to as "ringing the changes" to try and induce a teller at the Bank of Scotland in Nairn to hand over cash to him, and that he attempted to defraud the bank of cash.

He admitted using the same technique later the same day - on June 27 - at the Royal Bank of Scotland and defrauding the bank of £320.

Police in Aviemore had put out an appeal for sightings of his Merdecedes vehicle in a bid to track him down.

They also warned shopkeepers in Badenoch and Strathspey to be on their guard in case he tried to con them out of money.

Depute fiscal Ian Smith said that at about 3.20pm Rostas entered the bank and asked the teller to change £1,500 into £10 notes.

Then he asked for the cash to be changed into £20 notes. He then removed some of the £20 notes from the bundle of cash and asked for it to be changed into US dollars.

Mr Smith said this attempted fraud was unsuccessful because the bank teller got fed up with Rostas and told him to go to a post office.

But he did succeed in fraudulently obtaining £320 minutes later when he went to the Royal Bank of Scotland and used a similar ploy, handing over £860 and after exchanging the currency again returned just £520 to the teller and pocketed £320.

He was later arrested by Fife Constabulary and £1,400 was seized by the police.

Solicitor Ken Ferguson said Rostas had told him he was in the area to buy a car and he didn’t have enough money to pay for it, which resulted in the offence being carried out.

"He was unsuccessful the first time but successful the second time. He earns between £400 and £500 per week and stays with his parents."

Mr Ferguson said that family members were present in court ready to take him back to Croydon.

Sheriff Ian Abercrombie fined Rostas £2,000 and told him it would have been £3,000 but for the early plea.

He said the £1,400 would be retained by the Crown in the meantime and could be disputed in due course.

Meanwhile, he warned Rostas if he appears before a Scottish court again the case would be treated with the utmost seriousness.

Costas already had a similar conviction in February of this year.

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