11:29 am, January 9, 2026
A car salesman has appeared in court after being accused of scamming customers out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Benjamin Ambrose is said to have defrauded car buyers in Swindon out of more than £300,000 in a long-running campaign of fraud and theft.
Prosecutors allege that the dealer gave false information to customers regarding cars they had bought from him, while also illegally pocketing money from sales.
Earlier this week, the 44-year appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court, where the charges against him were read out. He did not enter any pleas and the case was referred to the Crown Court due to the seriousness of the case.
The court heard that Ambrose has been charged with four counts of fraud by false representation, totalling £151,443.30 as well as three of theft and another of dishonestly failing to disclose information to make a gain for himself.
Among the allegations is the claim that in September 2022, Ambrose failed to tell a customer that the car he had bought still had an outstanding finance arrangement on it.
Just two months later, he is alleged to have given false updates to a female customer about the build progress of a £37,880.40 vehicle that she had ordered from him.
In August of the following year, Ambrose is said to have attempted to make £21,498.90 by posing as the rightful owner of another car in order to obtain finance.
In March and August of 2024 he is then alleged to have conned two customers out of £66,612 and £25,452 respectively by giving false updates about the progress build of a vehicle he had sold.
Ambrose, of Malory Close, is also said to have stolen to a total of £152, 290.25 from the proceeds of three vehicle sales between June 2023 and May 2024.
It was not confirmed in court where the salesman worked at the time of the alleged offences.
The Swindon Advertiser reports that Ambrose will next appear at Swindon Crown Court on February 6, when he is expected to enter his pleas.
The defendant remains on conditional bail.
Pictured: Swindon Magistrates’ Court (PA Images)
