A British Airways worker who was involved in a £365,000 flight delay compensation scam has been jailed.
Anthony Robertson, 41, abused his position as a call centre manager to siphon off large sums of money by pretending to be customers and filling out compensation forms, before adding his own bank details and approving the claim.
Robertson, from Longbenton, North Tyneside, diverted some of the money to two bank accounts of his own and the rest to 41 other accounts, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Robertson transferred £86,984 to his own bank account, while £197,150 was paid to third party accounts, of which £169,945.68 was subsequently transferred to Robertson and £81,653 was paid to third parties with no evidence it was forwarded to him.
In total, he was involved with 117 fraudulent transactions and jailed for 32 months after admitting fraud.
Anthony Robertson, 41, pictured leaving North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court in North Shields, was jailed at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this month after admitting fraud
The scam first came to light in 2016 but was only concluded this month after what Robertson’s barrister called ‘unconscionable delays’.
Joe Hedworth, prosecuting, said: ‘He was a highly trusted member of the British Airways team.
‘It was a sophisticated offence, there was significant planning involved for a significant period of time.’
Robertson was first interviewed by the police in July 2016, when he admitted that he had committed the fraudulent transactions as he had personal debt and saw an opportunity to make money.
He said he had access to the details of the passengers who had been affected and so decided to fabricate the claims.
He completed claim application forms online, pretended to be a customer and then used his own bank details to receive the compensation.
The former British Airways worker said he would access the details of passengers who had not claimed compensation. He said he produced fraudulent paperwork, claimed to be the customer, and gave consent for the claims to be paid for the delayed flight, on their behalf.
He accessed the relevant system and made the refund payment to his own bank account.
After this, he input fictitious bank account details for the claim to conceal the fact the funds had been paid to his own bank account.
The former British Airways call centre manager siphoned £365,000 to 43 bank accounts
An investigation confirmed that none of the passengers, listed as claimants, were eligible for compensation and they did not travel on the specified flights. All information provided in respect of the claims was false.
Paul Caulfield, defending, said: ‘The delay in this case is unconscionable. He should have been sentenced in 2016.
‘He has lost everything. His relationship broke down, he applied for bankruptcy, he lost his job and reputation, his mental health was significantly impacted.
“But he has rebuilt his life. He has done charitable work. Notwithstanding his anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, he has been able to work with the Samaritans and other organisations.’
Mr Caulfield said Robertson was remorseful and had moved on in his life, despite having it hanging over him for six years.
He added that the owners of the 41 other bank accounts were not prosecuted but instead treated as prosecution witnesses.
