Oasis ticket fraudster spared jail after conning her own friends out of £4,000 with fake VIP box lies
Slater's connections with wealthy and famous people had previously allowed her access to VIP boxes at similar events.
A woman has been spared jail after defrauding her friends out of thousands of pounds for Oasis tickets that didn't exist.
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Rosie Slater, 32, from Staffordshire, admitted 11 fraud charges after pretending she could access Oasis tickets and a Wembley VIP box, with police saying she exploited wealthy connections to make the scam seem legitimate.
Slater, originally of Betley, Newcastle-under-Lyme, scammed her own friends and acquaintances out of more than £4,000.
Sitting in front of the dock at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on Monday, Slater wore a black blazer, with her dark hair down, looking across the courtroom during the hearing.
The court heard how Slater told friends in a WhatsApp chat that she could get Oasis concert tickets and access to a VIP box before taking their money.
To maintain the lie, she then encouraged them to book hotels and trains to get to the concert at Wembley Stadium.
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One of her victims bought 15 tickets for himself and some friends. Fortunately, his bank was able to refund some of the money.
Many of the banks, however, were unable to recover the victims' money. Some also spent money on non-refundable accommodation for the gigs, which the prosecution said should be returned to them.
After Slater was reported to the police, she appeared in front of magistrates, where she entered guilty pleas to all the charges.
At a previous hearing, her solicitor told the court that she had offered the tickets for sale because she wanted to be popular, calling it a sad tale and a lie that ran away.
He added that Slater didn’t use the money extravagantly and used it to pay off debts and council tax payments.
Passing sentence, the panel of three magistrates said: “You said this was a lie that got out of control, but it’s also true there are some extremely upset and disappointed people as a result of your actions.”
She was sentenced to a 12-month community order, allowing for mental health provision. Slater was given a fine and costs totalling £239, and compensation to all of the victims that will amount to more than £750.
The team that investigated Slater at Staffordshire Police said that she had genuine connections with wealthy and famous people, and this had previously allowed her access to VIP boxes at similar events.
DC David Stubbs told LBC: “Through her family, she does have connections with rich, wealthy and famous people. She had been fortunate enough to previously attend concerts. She used this to make her seem more credible.
“She set up a WhatsApp group to bring her victims all together. This was nothing more than a ploy to further convince them of her credibility. In this case, Slater acted completely independently, with no evidence of any coercion, and she has acted completely out of greed.”
DC Stubbs added: “She exploited her connections for personal gain. Even when she was confronted by her victims, she still tried to convince them they had access to the concert. This clearly was not true, and she had acted purely for her own benefit.”
Slater will also have to carry out 30 rehabilitation activity days with the probation service as part of her sentence.
If you believe you have been a victim of a similar scam, you can report it to Action Fraud, the police, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.