City worker who defrauded railway landed with ^9,000 bill

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) press release:

A 44-year-old City of London IT worker caught buying ^short tickets^ for more than four years following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation, has had to pay out more than ^9,000.

Anka Gostovic, of Cameron Drive, Waltham Cross, appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates^ Court on Monday, 7 January, after she was charged with one count of fraud by false representation.

During the proceedings the court heard that at the end of 2010, National Express East Anglia^s (NXEA^▸ (National Express East Anglia)) fraud department began to look into Gostovic^s activities after it was discovered that she had been buying monthly season tickets valid between Liverpool Street and Hackney Downs stations, but was travelling to Waltham Cross.

Investigating officer, PC Amanda Humphrey, said: ^Ticket office staff provided a CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele-Vision) still of Gostovic and at the beginning of November, staff from NXEA^s fraud department stopped her at Liverpool Street station. Gostovic produced her ticket, which allowed her to travel between Hackney Downs and Liverpool Street stations, before admitting that she had travelled from Waltham Cross and had been avoiding the fare between Hackney Downs and Waltham Cross for more than a year.^

NXEA then liaised with BTP^s Ticket Fraud Squad, who arrested Gostovic for fraud by false representation with which she was charged in December 2010.

The investigation showed that Gostovic had lived in Watham Cross since 2005 and had bought short season tickets from July 2006 to October 2010.

Before sentencing on Monday, 7 January, Gostovic paid back NXEA ^4,300 but the court decided to issue a further ^5,000 fine, as well as ordering her to pay ^200 in costs.

PC Humphrey added: ^This is the first time Gostovic had been in trouble with the police but considering the amount of time she had been defrauding the railway industry, we had no choice but to pursue criminal charges against her. This is major fraud. ^9,000 is a substantial amount and hopefully this will serve as a strong deterrent to those who may be tempted to commit similar fraud.^

Alan Perry National Express East Anglia^s Head of Revenue Protection said: "We welcome this successful prosecution and substantial fine which sends a strong message that fraud will not be tolerated. We will continue to work closely with the BTP in taking a proactive stance to managing instances of ticketless and fraudulent travel."

[ChrisB]

I wonder if the fine would have been any greater if she hadn't refunded the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)? She may have paid more than she had to!

(Is this FGW^▸ (First Great Western) territory though?)

[Chris from Nailsea]

No, not FGW^▸ (First Great Western) in this particular case - but I decided to post it here as the same rules apply to all tickets, irrespective of TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company). 

[inspector_blakey]

From the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) press release:

During the proceedings the court heard that at the end of 2010, National Express East Anglia^s (NXEA^▸ (National Express East Anglia)) fraud department began to look into Gostovic^s activities after it was discovered that she had been buying monthly season tickets valid between Liverpool Street and Hackney Downs stations, but was travelling to Waltham Cross.

Call me a wooly-minded liberal if you like, but there's a nasty hint of "Big Brother" surveillance about this. Obviously I don't condone for a second the fraud that was taking place, but how on earth does a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) legitimately "discover" where a passenger is going to? Did she pick up a couple of penalty fares there or were they following her home?

[IndustryInsider]

A reminder of how having barriers at the major stations is all well and good, but also needs to be backed up with regular checks on the trains by revenue staff or guards/TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context)'s when travel from or to stations that have no barriers (such as Waltham Cross) are involved.

[ChrisB]

I suspect someone tipped them off that she was travelling long.

[Electric train]

Or it could be that if there are ticket barriers at Hackney Down the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) might run a check to see if tickets go through, her tickets probably never went though the Hackney Downs barriers

[IndustryInsider]

No barriers at either station according to the National Rail website.

[Ollie]

Season tickets valid for a month or longer get logged to my knowledge - so I would assume they would have that record of her tickets.

[Brucey]

I'm still amazed how the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)/NXEA^▸ (National Express East Anglia) managed to catch her (unless she repeatedly asked to buy a ticket on the train)

[Tim]

Well the report states that she admitted travelling short for more than a year.  Perhaps that was a foolish thing for her to have done. 

[JayMac]

Travelling short would not have been an issue. She persistently travelled long.

[Tim]

Travelling short would not have been an issue. She persistently travelled long.

yes.  My mistake.  Reminds me of the Old Les Dawson joke - " My mother-in-law is so thick, she thought was defauding British Rail - she brought a return ticket and didn't come back"

[argg]

I'm still amazed how the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)/NXEA^▸ (National Express East Anglia) managed to catch her (unless she repeatedly asked to buy a ticket on the train)

Still took 4 years though.

This must be going on a lot.  In 4 years of travelling from Twyford (no barriers) to London I've had my ticket checked on the train only a handful of times, and then usually if travelling during the day rather than at peak times.

I know there's no money to pay for it but surely an oyster style season ticket with (at least) touch in/out pads at every station would work (don't touch out - full fare to Penzance charged!!).