7:47 am, July 18, 2025
A sales advisor at a Lookers dealership who nearly £22,000 from her workplace to bankroll a luxury lifestyle beyond her means has been jailed.
Emma Fairbanks, 32, worked at Lookers Skoda in Stockport and used stolen customer bank details to fund designer handbags, luxury holidays and weight loss surgery, ITV News reports.
Fairbanks diverted the money into her own bank account to ‘indulge in a lifestyle that could not have been funded by her salary’.
She defrauded 55 customers and the dealership fears yet more customers could be identified.
Her crimes were only uncovered after a member of the public received a letter from car repair payment firm Bumper, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
‘The letter informed her that there had been multiple missed payments on her account accrued at Lookers Skoda Stockport, to the tune of £1,490,’ Prosecuting Megan Horner said.
‘She had no knowledge of this company, Bumper, or the debt.
‘Concerned, she contacted Lookers and found that somebody had used her details to set up the debit- that had nothing to do with her.’
Bumper investigated and discovered that the loan had been issued for a vehicle registered under the name Stockman.
Lookers records showed an invoice dated the same day as the Bumper application, also identifying the customer as Stockman.
Further investigations revealed that Fairbanks had used ‘a number of different methods’ to cover up her activity, Horner told the court.
It was also heard that Fairbanks manipulated estimate documents and contacted customers directly, falsely claiming the company’s card machine was down and instructing them to make payments to her personal bank account.
Between June 2022 and May 2023, cash deposits totalling £21,987 dropped into the defendant’s account, while a police search of her house unearthed ‘several designer items, various handbags and holiday receipts’.
The court also heard how Fairbanks used a customer’s name, Mr Sargent, to pay for a £550 stay at a luxury hotel in Buxton, Derbyshire.
Judge Usher, sentencing Fairbanks to 18 months behind bars after she admitted two counts of fraud by false representation, said: ‘This was premeditated, sophisticated, determined dishonesty.
‘Your former employers suffered financially, but it will also impact customers’ trust. I believe reputational damage can be as bad as financial loss. One customer, Mr Sargent, has said that he will never use Lookers again.’
In her defence, Ms Milena Bennett argued that Fairbanks found the opportunity to commit fraud ‘easily accessible’ and explained that she struggles with depression, anxiety, and feelings of isolation.
‘She made no attempt to cover her tracks – the spa hotel was booked in her name. These are not sophisticated offences.’
A Lookers statement said: ‘She was employed in a position of trust to safeguard the company. She exploited this by deceiving customers and making substantial gain for herself.
‘This was to indulge in a lifestyle that could not have been funded by her salary. We are still going through our records and fear there will be more customers like Mr Sargent.’
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