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Another Rogue

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Flamingo

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Anybody else know this pest? Well known on FGW, I see he has been caught - again <(

Newport man's £20,000 train ticket fraud

3:40pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 By Andy Rutherford

A NEWPORT-born man obsessed with Britain’s rail network, defrauded train companies of at least £20,000.

Peter Young, 30, who lives in Glasgow, travelled first-class for free for up to three years, writing at least £10,000-worth of bogus company cheques to ride the network in luxury.

He enjoyed complimentary refreshments along with the sights on the 470-mile journey from his adopted home city to Penzance in Cornwall.

Young, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, has a previous conviction for a similar spree in 2009. He admitted at Blackfriars Crown Court to conning another £10,000 from train operators, deceiving firms including First Scotrail, First Great Western and Arriva Trains Wales.

He mounted the fraud using his wealth of knowledge about the rail system acquired over the years of his obsession.

Young, currently jobless and on benefits, had registered a string of businesses and opened corporate bank accounts, using the cheques to buy multiple-travel passes for up to £5,000.

He appeared in the Argus in 2009, when he launched UK Express Coaches. Based in Edinburgh, the company was to provide routes from Newport to the Scottish capital, and to Manchester, Manchester Airport and Birmingham International Airport. Young said he wanted “to prove that Asperger’s Syndrome sufferers can still achieve.”

The previous year he had launched another firm, Interconnection Coaches, to provide an Edinburgh-Manchester airport link.

In a Scottish newspaper in 2008 he was described as having an obession with the UK’s road network, and dubbed himself “the human sat nav.”

Young, now of Rouken Glen Road, Glasgow, faces a sentencing hearing on April 2. He admitted eight counts of fraud by false representation between 2009 and 2011, denying a further eight similar charges which are expected to be allowed to lie on file at the next hearing.
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/9518691.Newport_man_s___20_000_train_ticket_fraud/

Here's a bad picture of him in the blue shirt and hi-vis waistcoat, at the launching of his coach company

799957
 
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tsr

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Anybody else know this pest? Well known on FGW, I see he has been caught - again <(

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/9518691.Newport_man_s___20_000_train_ticket_fraud/

It is a great shame that someone could use this knowledge to prevent such an amount of revenue from reaching TOCs. People using railway knowledge in this way do no favours to the vast majority of enthusiasts and experts in the field, who pay for their tickets honestly and enjoy the network within the requirements of the law.

At the same time, it is sad that someone with a disability cannot find work within what may be their own range of talents, despite what clearly are efforts to seek meaningful employment and business success, therefore wasting the resources of others through their lack of "something better to do", shall we say. I don't know this person, nor do I know whether or not their was any malice involved, but it sounds like there is a slightly desperate and sad side to this story.
 

Flamingo

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I know him well, and have been coming across him for six or seven years now. He is a dishonest, fraudulent pest. Don't let the "Aspergers" tag fool you, he is a very calculating (and convincing) conman.
 

Ascot

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:lol: Brilliant! Surely they would of cottoned on that he was on benefits before starting his own company?


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34D

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It is a great shame that someone could use this knowledge to prevent such an amount of revenue from reaching TOCs. People using railway knowledge in this way do no favours to the vast majority of enthusiasts and experts in the field, who pay for their tickets honestly and enjoy the network within the requirements of the law.

If I followed correctly, isn't it simply issues involving company bank accounts, and not specialist railway knowledge?
 
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SS4

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If I followed correctly, isn't it simply issues involving company bank accounts, and not specialist railway knowledge?

That's the conclusion I drew.

Specialist railway knowledge is there to seemingly make it look better, ditto for the asperger's. Both are irrelevancies as is born in Newport but at least that one had a purpose - justifying the South Wales Argus' publication :lol:
 

Flamingo

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He knows enough to fool the unwary. He gives the impression of being rail staff, talks knowledgeably about diagram numbers, throws in headcodes, name-drops other rail staff to beat the band, and will ask to buy tickets giving the code-numbers (which most rail staff won't know). He'll then produce a credit card that "has to be swiped" due to some obscure fault.

He pesters the buffet staff, and tries to buy high-value alcohol unless they say they need to ring for authorisation of his card.

He'll appear at least once every journey with a tale of rough-riding or something seen lineside "around milepost XXX" that you need to ring the signaller about straight away, and apparently has had a "sudden illness" that requires an ambulance to the train on more than one occasion, delaying the train for god-knows how long.

He is a candidate for an ASBO banning him from the railway -he's nothing but a nuisance!
 

tsr

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He knows enough to fool the unwary. He gives the impression of being rail staff, talks knowledgeably about diagram numbers, throws in headcodes, name-drops other rail staff to beat the band, and will ask to buy tickets giving the code-numbers (which most rail staff won't know). He'll then produce a credit card that "has to be swiped" due to some obscure fault.

He pesters the buffet staff, and tries to buy high-value alcohol unless they say they need to ring for authorisation of his card.

He'll appear at least once every journey with a tale of rough-riding or something seen lineside "around milepost XXX" that you need to ring the signaller about straight away, and apparently has had a "sudden illness" that requires an ambulance to the train on more than one occasion, delaying the train for god-knows how long.

He is a candidate for an ASBO banning him from the railway -he's nothing but a nuisance!

Hmmm. So there are indeed more problems than were mentioned in the article. I'm particularly alarmed by the reports of problems. An enthusiast who genuinely spots something like this is more likely to be disregarded as a result, which can only be a bad thing.

As for the card scams, you'd have thought it wouldn't have taken that much revenue to be lost for that to be noticed - i.e. that sounds like it built up over quite a while. Even if evidence needs to be gathered, that sounds like rather a lot of it!

As for headcodes and the like... surely most people on this forum alone, as well as lots of rail staff, know of these sorts of technical features and systems.
 

David

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He'll appear at least once every journey with a tale of rough-riding or something seen lineside "around milepost XXX" that you need to ring the signaller about straight away, and apparently has had a "sudden illness" that requires an ambulance to the train on more than one occasion, delaying the train for god-knows how long.

No doubt with the sole intention of creating a delay big enough so he can use delay-repay claims to fund even more trips ....
 

Flamingo

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The tickets involved are around £1000 each (1st class all-line rovers) paid for by company cheques with nothing in the company account. His MO was to buy on-board, and avoid booking offices like the plague. He's a real Walter Mitty, and talks a good game.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
No doubt with the sole intention of creating a delay big enough so he can use delay-repay claims to fund even more trips ....

I never thought of that, you are a bigger cynic than I am! Probably right, though...
 

theblackwatch

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Surely part of the fault lies with the TOCs for allowing tickets to be bought using company cheques with no cheque guarantee card?
 

Flamingo

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As for headcodes and the like... surely most people on this forum alone, as well as lots of rail staff, know of these sorts of technical features and systems.
Yes, but most railstaff in my experience don't use headcodes to describe trains to each other, I mean, I would say to someone in conversation "I'm working the 08.30 Weston", not "I'm working 1B90".
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Surely part of the fault lies with the TOCs for allowing tickets to be bought using company cheques with no cheque guarantee card?

It was staff on-train not following proper procedures that he was bamboozling into selling them to him. Part of the reason cheques are no longer accepted.
 
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Flamingo

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I know, I'm wondering as well. As I said, he's very convincing, and maybe some on-train staff just saw the possible commission (being charitable).
 

GNER 91128

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I know, I'm wondering as well. As I said, he's very convincing, and maybe some on-train staff just saw the possible commission (being charitable).

But it's so surprising that a ticket of that value is allowed to be sold on board and "paid" for by cheque!
 

tsr

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Yes, but most railstaff in my experience don't use headcodes to describe trains to each other, I mean, I would say to someone in conversation "I'm working the 08.30 Weston", not "I'm working 1B90".

No, indeed not.

Perhaps the undue use of headcodes might also raise suspicions. Most people who appear to be business travellers (as this person did) probably don't really care about such things. Yet it is mentioned above that this person used very plausible excuses, so I'm sure he had one for that sort of behaviour too.
 

anthony263

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I know him well, and have been coming across him for six or seven years now. He is a dishonest, fraudulent pest. Don't let the "Aspergers" tag fool you, he is a very calculating (and convincing) conman.

I remember him launching his coach operations which didnt really last long despite all the hype. I havent met him (lucky for me) although I know some who have who have similar opinions to you Flamingo.

In fact I have heard tales about some of the vehicles which were employed by him on his coach operations (lets just say it was not good)
 

CarterUSM

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Oh Mr Young. I know him well, see him at least weekly, boarding at his local station. He used to always want to chat about this or that ticket or talk you into selling something or other. We've had notices about him for years. He likes to meet new staff especially .
 

Flamingo

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Give him our love from South Wales, and tell him to enjoy the "Big House"...
 

tbtc

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Much as I find Flamingo a very interesting poster normally, I find insights like these into passengers and "tricks" fascinating - it certainly tells me a lot more about what goes on in the world than any newspaper article can :)
 

CarterUSM

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Give him our love, and tell him to enjoy the "Big House"...

I wish i'd known you had come across him, we could have shared many tales! I do remember the time he asked for, and received 2 first class ALR's, from one of our newer staff some years ago with one of his spurious cards.
 

Flamingo

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Much as I find Flamingo a very interesting poster normally, I find insights like these into passengers and "tricks" fascinating - it certainly tells me a lot more about what goes on in the world than any newspaper article can :)

It's people like him (as I said very convincing, the first few times I (and others) have met him I thought he was a manager for a different TOC, he has the "I've Aspergers" line to throw at the PC brigade when confronted), that result in railway staff being cynical and less prepared to accept the genuine.

An accusation that is often thrown at train staff on this forum is "you treat everybody as a potential criminal". Unfortunately, dealing with people like Mr Young on a regular basis, if you don't have that suspicious streak, they will run rings around you.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I wish i'd known you had come across him, we could have shared many tales! I do remember the time he asked for, and received 2 first class ALR's, from one of our newer staff some years ago with one of his spurious cards.

He tried to buy something from me once, it got as far as "You'll have to swipe the card" - "No sir, I'll just ring for authorisation", and he vanished soooo quickly!
 

CarterUSM

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He tried to buy something from me once, it got as far as "You'll have to swipe the card" - "No sir, I'll just ring for authorisation", and he vanished soooo quickly!

HA HA! SNAP!!! Well almost, he didn't vanish, just decided to purchase a concessionary ticket instead.
 

Flamingo

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Funny that! I think that's three times now he's been done for the same thing, I wonder what it takes to get an ASBO...
 

CarterUSM

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Nobody here would even entertain him after the first few dodgy dealings, though to be fair, a Welsh accent does stand out in Glasgow. As does asking for the ramp every day for 2 years when he was using crutches for whatever reason.
 

Flamingo

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Nobody here would even entertain him after the first few dodgy dealings, though to be fair, a Welsh accent does stand out in Glasgow. As does asking for the ramp every day for 2 years when he was using crutches for whatever reason.

I never saw him on crutches. I'd ask him or a Doctors Cert as well, even if he was on them. It was probably some scam.
 

wintonian

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I am glad he has been cought, but I do hope that knowledge/ experience of a couple of people ( CH anyone?) with AS will lead you to think that we are all like that.

The op and indeed this thread does bring up some interesting points that I feel like discussing (not all related to AS) - but not on the mobile. If I remember this thread next week I'll add to it then.

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CarterUSM

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I never saw him on crutches. I'd ask him or a Doctors Cert as well, even if he was on them. It was probably some scam.

Yes, it was about then he appeared with a concessionary card, but I think he asked for the ramp because he thought it inconvenienced you. He took a pathetically long time to board or alight and moaned and winced like a bairn, but magically gained speed and pain free dexterity upon setting foot on terra firma. It was decided higher up that to refuse him the use of the ramp was pretty dangerous from a discrimination perspective , and I tend to agree.
 
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