It took authorities eight years of connecting various dots involving Philip Foster to finally bring down the millionaire fraudster who targeted children, parents and vulnerable people
A former Brookside actor built a multi-million pound empire while evading the law and living the high life in Marbella. However, Philip Foster’s boasting about his ill-gotten gains led to his downfall.
It took authorities eight years of piecing together various clues to finally topple the millionaire fraudster who preyed on children, parents and vulnerable individuals.
Despite efforts from police and Trading Standards, Foster remains at large in Spain. His son Michael Foster is also believed to be in Spain, with both men sentenced in absentia last month. Philip received an eight-and-a-half-year sentence, while Michael was given three-and-a-half years.
Employees of the criminal organisation were also handed sentences.
The operation involved a sophisticated network of false modelling agencies that duped victims into believing they could earn money as professional models. This scam targeted young people and parents, conning them out of substantial sums of money, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The scheme was straightforward: employees would set up a photography studio and use social media to cast a wide net, giving anyone who responded to their messages the impression that the modelling agency was interested in their potential.
The unsuspecting victims were lured in with the promise of a ‘free’ test photoshoot. But this was nothing more than a ploy to deceive them.
Once at the studio, they were fed stories of previous success stories and handed brochures. They were then informed that they had passed the studio test and that agencies were keen on them, but there was a catch – they needed to buy the portfolio of photographs to go pro.
While some saw through the scheme, others fell for it, parting with their hard-earned cash. Investigations into these bogus agencies revealed a pattern: they operated for a brief period, paid no tax, filed no returns, and swiftly dissolved after numerous complaints.
The scam didn’t stop there. The studios often referred the victims to so-called interested agencies, making them believe these were separate entities eager to represent them.
This second company would convince the victim of their potential and charge an annual fee, promising future work opportunities. Investigators identified 59 such modelling agencies, along with 23 companies and a tangled web of financial transactions.
Philip Foster’s ever-evolving company structures and intricate financial dealings allowed this operation to evade investigators for years. Con artists extracted cash from unsuspecting victims just to escape the studio.
The network operated in multiple locations, including Manchester, London, Bristol, Leeds, Coventry, and Nottingham, with several studios in each city. However, despite National Trading Standards restricting Foster’s operation to these areas, it was revealed in 2005 that the ex-actor was running a similar modelling scam in Liverpool.
Foster employed various individuals to manage the daily operations while he remained in Marbella. Lisa Foster was in charge of the Manchester-based studios, selling the idea that people who passed through the studio would go on to earn substantial amounts of money.
A photographer employed by Lisa Foster for the Little Angels studio in Manchester told the authorities that he was hired without an interview, training, or a background check. He explained that he left after receiving several complaints from victims who had purchased photographs.
In the London studio, victims were asked to pay up to £1,350 for a digital portfolio, although prices varied depending on what the seller thought they could get from the victim. One victim, a mother of two, paid £700 for photographs of her two daughters before spending an additional £650 on an online profile and a list of agencies, half of which did not exist.
Another victim, a young professional, felt pressured into making a purchase, stating that she felt like she had “no choice”.
Philip counted on his accomplice Michael, alongside Emily Newall, Qadar, and a couple more cronies.
49 year old Foster, dubbed the “main man” or “the boss”, orchestrated the whole operation from sunny Spain, living it up and directing his employees via WhatsApp and emails. The big boss made sure to keep out of the limelight, never putting his name down as a director or showing any ties to the 23 firms linked to the dodgy dealings.
Foster hid behind fake names like ‘Tony Jones’, ‘Anthony Jones’, and ‘Phil Jones’ to stay under the radar. He crafted the business scheme and kept an eye on things through CCTV at the studios.
Not just that, he even managed to quash a journalists trying to delve into the operation. One worker sent a message into a group chat with Foster and Emily Newall: “Girl booked in today at 3pm… claims to be a reporter.”
From other texts, it seemed the journalist was trying to connect the dots between the studio and what she’d heard on previous calls with the agency. Philip Foster wasn’t having any of it, shooting back: “D***head I will decline her now.”
Despite the occasional mistake, his income, according to traceable sources, hit a whopping £13,609,404. Out of that, a cool £1.9 million found its way into accounts Foster had access to, not to mention the money he sent off to Spain.
The ECHO has previously reported on Foster’s fraudulent activities, revealing that he had swindled others out of thousands two decades ago. Among those duped was Merseyside radio DJ Pete Price, who responded to the news of Foster’s recent sentencing.
Pete Price remembered an ECHO investigation from 2005 that exposed the TV star as a fraudster. The former Brookside actor used bogus modelling agencies to deceive people.
This month, the ex-Radio City DJ disclosed that he too had been scammed by Foster. Pete recounted first meeting Foster in 2000 and agreeing to perform at a show at the Olympia, which Foster had arranged and promoted.
However, Foster cancelled Pete’s appearance just hours before the show, citing poor ticket sales.
But Pete grew suspicious and decided to visit the Olympia, only to discover a packed venue. He later pursued legal action against Foster to reclaim his fee, resulting in a county court judgement ordering Foster to pay £402.50, including court costs.
Unfortunately, Pete never received his money as bailiffs were unable to locate Foster at his home or business address. Pete claims that when he encountered Foster at a subsequent event, Foster tauntingly pulled out a bundle of banknotes, waved them in front of Pete, and then sent over a glass of champagne with his compliments.
Chatting with the ECHO two decades on about his run-ins with Foster, Pete was taken aback by the sentencing: “I was shocked because I’d forgotten all about it him, I really was shocked. I had forgotten all about it but seeing it brought back all the memories. It wasn’t even the money that annoyed me, it was ‘how dare he rip me off?’.”I remember at the time I spoke about it on my radio show and I was inundated with calls. God knows how much money he has made and spent over all those years.
“What made me really angry was that he would always wave money in my face. It’s brazen.”
The end of the enterprise
Philip Foster, residing at Edificio Marina Mariola, Marbella, got an eight-and-a-half-year sentence in absentia for conspiracy to defraud. His son, Michael Foster, 27, from Snowdon Lane, Liverpool, received a three-and-a-half-year sentence for the same offence.
Paul Evans, 39, of no known address, was handed a three-and-a-half-year sentence for crimes linked to money laundering. Jamie Peters, 52, from Pentland Place, Warrington, received a 24-month sentence, suspended for 2 years, for conspiracy to defraud.
Lisa Foster, 42, from Manchester Road, Astley, was given an 18-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, for conspiracy to defraud. Emily Newall, 29, of Bolton Road, Kearsley, was sentenced to 10 months, suspended for 12 months, for conspiracy to defraud.
Atif Qadar, 44, hailing from Larkswood Drive, Crowthorne, copped a 12-month sentence, suspended for the same period, for his part in a conspiracy to defraud. Paul Fleury, 57, of Manchester Road, Swinton, also received an 18-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, for similar charges.
Meanwhile, Aslihan Foster, 39, from Tredington Road, Coventry, was handed an 18-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, for her involvement in money laundering.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
