Benefits fraud man took part in £6020 scam after Snapchat message

Blackburn magistrates heard Declan Brierley was playing the slots on his phone and losing when he saw the invitation to make some easy money. Brierly, 25, of Coniston Avenue, Accrington, pleaded guilty to four charges of retaining a wrongful credit. He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with eight rehab activity days and 80 hours unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £85 victim surcharge. The court heard there had been four payments into the defendant’s bank account starting in January 2019 and ending in April 2020. The four payments totalled £6,020. The court heard Brierly had been playing the slots on his phone when a message came up on someone’s Snapchat. It asked if the reader was on Universal Credit and if so did they want to make some money. He was told to provide his bank details and the other man would arrange everything. A few days later £1,500 was paid into his account. That happened three more times in the following months and on each occasion he split the money with the other man, the court was told.
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