Philip Foster Sentenced for £13.6M Modelling Fraud Scheme

Philip Foster, a former actor from the British soap opera Brookside, has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for masterminding a £13.6 million fraud that targeted aspiring models. Over a period of more than eight years, Foster and his associates operated a network of sham modelling agencies and photography studios across various UK cities, conning over 6,000 victims into paying for false promises of modelling work. Victims were lured by social media advertisements and invited to 'free' test shoots, only to be pressured into purchasing expensive portfolios that were necessary for agency representation. Many were left in serious debt, having used credit deals or payday loans to pay for the portfolios, which ended up providing them with poor-quality images but no job opportunities. The scheme was uncovered after a lengthy six-year investigation by National Trading Standards, which highlighted the emotional and financial toll on the victims. Foster, who was living a luxurious lifestyle in Marbella, Spain, was sentenced in absentia alongside eight associates who were also charged with related offences.