I was scammed out of £14,500 by a cowboy builder – he stole tens of thousands from 20 single mums and NHS workers

A VICTIM of a scammer has shared how she was conned out of £14,500 from a cowboy builder who also stole thousands from single mums and NHS workers.

Fraudster Morgan Lewis, 23, scammed a total of 20 people for around £50,000, leaving them in debt to pay off his unfinished work.

According to Bridgend council, which prosecuted him, he has not repaid any of the victims.

Morgan was jailed after pleading guilty to 11 charges under the Fraud Act and 10 further charges under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

One of his victims Mandy Evans, 51, from Ceredigion, was conned out of £14,500 when she asked him to build ten stables on her land, reports Wales Online.

She said: “I was looking around for quotes and I asked my daughter if she could find somebody, and she said she found somebody on Facebook.

“It looked very professional, the pictures of all his work and the stables, they were fantastic.”

After agreeing on a quote of £12,500 which later increased to £14,500, Morgan explained he needed a third of the cost upfront to cover the cost of the materials needed.

Mandy said that she told him she needed to wait for planning but the fraudster responded that he woulnd not be able to fit her in his schedule if she didn’t book at the moment.

The woman agreed and paid him £4,500 and said would inform him once the planning was agreed- which would be six months later in June 2021.

She said: “He’d had this four and a half thousand for about six months, so I said right, we’re ready to go, planning is through, let’s get the stable block up and he just started making excuses.”

The scammer told her he would need more money as his materials got stolen.

Mandy said he eventually arrived in a large, mostly empty trailer- however, Morgan had learned how to manipulate his victims by doing just the right amount of work that would prevent them from calling the police.

When Mandy voiced her concerns about the project he would make sure to ensure her it would be completed.

“It got to the point where he was saying I swear on my unborn child, on my mother, I will not let you down but I need the money,” she said.

When Morgan failed to complete the job, Mandy’s husband and uncle were forced to finish it instead.

Morgan scammed a number of people in a similar way mainly by targeting vulnerable families.

‘EXTREMELY ANGRY’

Natalie Treharne, 29, and her husband called Morgan to build a shed in their garden.

The pair needed the extra space as storage as their 13-year-old daughter has a rare genetic disorder that requires a lot of equipment.

And despite promising he would deliver the shed, Morgan would again come up with excuses.

Natalie told the outlet: “He was always sick with mental health, or we’d get a message on the morning of the day and saying no one of the boys is sick, there was always a reason why he couldn’t come.

“I kept saying to him, this is Maisie’s money, she’s only 13, she’s got a rare genetic disorder and we’ve just got equipment all over the house, her bedroom is full of boxes.”

Another victim Esther Guard, 44,  from Carmarthenshire, contacted him to build two stables.

While he started the work he soon started committing errors and making up excuses.

Esther said: “It has made me feel extremely angry.

“I think the worst of it is that none of the affected people have been able to get the money back.”

Morgan was eventually jailed for 16 months and an investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act continues.

Judge Niclas Parry described him as calculated, manipulative and sometimes aggressive.

The court was told that he scammed a number of people including single mums, NHS workers, and a widow.

The people have been left in debt trying to get the work completed and even used pension funds or money that were part of an inheritance.

BCBC Dhanisha Patel, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations, and member of the SRS Joint Committee, said: “The conclusion of this case sends out the clear message that trading practices such as these, which have resulted in our residents being ripped off, will not be tolerated.

“Anyone with concerns about rogue traders or seeking advice on finding reputable tradespeople, should contact the Citizens Advice Consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.”