A fraudster who stole his former flatmate’s identity to help him obtain thousands of pounds narrowly escaped a prison sentence.
Kamran Farooq was instead ordered to carry out the maximum community service after he admitted pretending to be Mohammed Siddiqui for almost a year.
The two men had lived together in a flat on Tay Street, Perth, before Mr Siddiqui moved to London.
Farooq then used his friend’s mail to open a bank account, cash cheques, obtain a credit card and take out a bank loan. Those actions enabled the 35-year-old to fraudulently obtain £20,000.
Perth Sheriff Court heard Farooq had used the money to pay for hospital treatment for his brother, who was ill in his home country Pakistan.
Defence agent Linda Clark said, “There is no national health service in Pakistan and at the time his brother was hospitalised Farooq was the only member of the family who was in full-time work, working in this country.
“Significant pressure was placed on him to assist with the monetary help needed by his brother and his family.”
In a desperate bid to provide his family with cash, Farooq used a cheque for £2200 that was sent from the Yorkshire Building Society to Mr Siddiqui at his old Tay Street after he closed his account with it.
When he failed to receive the cheque, he discovered it had been cashed into a Royal Bank of Scotland account in his name.
Farooq, who still resides at Tay Street, admitted fraudulently using utility bills of his former housemate to cash the cheque for £2200.
He also admitted using his ex-housemate’s details to gain a credit card on February 2, 2008, to obtain £6098.31.
On August 13, 2008, he also opened a savings account with Mr Siddiqui’s details and received a credit card and loan, obtaining £11,701.69.
Ms Clark said her client’s case was unlike other fraudulent offences because he did not stand to personally gain from the money.
She said, “In the case of Farooq, notwithstanding the wrongdoing, the reason for doing what he did, one might say, were honourable.”
The court also heard Farooq had begun pay back most of the money.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said, “You accepted responsibility for some very serious offences. I have to say that custody is undoubtedly uppermost in my mind, but in your favour is the fact that restitution has been made and that is a significant factor in my disposal.
“The other fact that I am taking into account is that you have brought in an affidavit indicating that it is likely that some, if not all, of the funds have been used for the benefit of your brother and meeting his medical expenses.”
Farooq was ordered to carry out 240 hours of community service.