A professional fraudster has been sentenced to over nine years in prison for using fake identities to rent property and purchase luxury vehicles in Ascot.
Permjit Singh, also known as Paul Singh or Paul Sagoo, was arrested by police on July 12, 2023, after he fraudulently obtained cars valued at nearly £500,000. The following day, he faced charges of four counts of fraud by false representation.
In December 2023, Singh’s landlord reported him to the police for submitting false information when applying for a tenancy at an Ascot property in August 2022. Singh falsely claimed to be the director of a successful business, submitting forged documents, including a fake payslip and a letter from a non-existent HR manager. The landlord believed his claims and granted him tenancy.
However, the landlord later initiated legal action against Singh, citing a financial loss of £45,000. The victim, whose identity was misused for the tenancy, confirmed he had no association with the fraudulent claims and experienced mental health issues as a result of Singh’s actions.
Singh was arrested again on December 4, 2023, for fraud and possession of forged documents under the Fraud Act 2006. He faced charges on December 22. On June 6, he pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud and one count of possession of an article for use in fraud at Reading Crown Court.
While on bail, it was discovered that Singh had engaged in a series of additional fraudulent activities, prompting a second investigation. He was subsequently arrested and remanded on August 13.
From October 2017 to June 2024, Singh impersonated various business directors to obtain business phone contracts worth £195,000. Police reported that he often requested devices to be sent to his home address instead of a registered business address, a deviation from standard practice. To bolster his credibility, he presented fake bank statements and purchase orders, impersonating 14 directors across 28 different businesses.
Singh later pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud and one count of making a false statement to obtain a driving license during a court appearance on September 16. Twelve additional counts of obtaining articles for fraudulent purposes are to remain on file.
Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn, head of the Thames Valley Police’s Central Fraud Unit, stated, “Singh’s offences were sophisticated and premeditated, involving the creation of fake identities and applications, allowing him to defraud multiple victims over an extended period.”
He emphasized that Singh was a highly confident fraudster who successfully deceived his victims into accepting his false documentation as genuine. “His prolific offending only ceased upon his arrest. A Serious Crime Prevention Order was granted by the judge to limit his future opportunities to offend.”