A 54-year-old woman, Diane Richards, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison after admitting to defrauding tenants by taking thousands of pounds in deposits for properties she did not own. Richards created fake tenancy agreements and collected money from seven victims, including international students seeking accommodation to start their studies at the University of Lincoln.
Lincoln Crown Court heard that one suspicious student discovered Richards was actually a tenant living with her family in one of the properties she was trying to rent out. Despite being granted police bail for three offences in 2022, Richards continued her fraudulent activity, committing four similar offences in 2024 by advertising properties on Facebook that she did not own.
Richards, who currently has no fixed address, pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud by false representation between February 2022 and June 2024. Prosecutor Stuart Lody described the crimes as “rather sophisticated frauds” carried out over an extended period, causing significant financial losses to vulnerable victims negotiating from abroad.
The court also learned that Richards has a history of 10 previous convictions covering 27 offences, including similar fraudulent acts.
When passing sentence, Judge James House KC acknowledged Richards’ serious health problems but emphasized the need for an immediate prison term to serve as a deterrent. He noted that Richards had engaged in dishonest conduct for many years, offending primarily to fund her lifestyle.
Additionally, Judge House ordered the confiscation of £4,768 from Richards’ savings to be distributed among her victims.
