A FRAUDSTER hoodwinked a string of people into transferring nearly £40,000 into his bank account for non-existent Apple electronics products.

David Alford dazzled his ‘customers’ — including a Greenock company director — over a period spanning three years, promising them the latest devices at hugely discounted prices.

The 37-year-old, of the town’s Murdieston Street, tricked people into parting with a total of £38,589 after convincing them that he had access to an ‘Apple rep’.

In one of his fiddles, he sent a text message to several recipients telling them that his supposed inside man was having ‘a fire sale’ with ‘outrageous prices’.

But Alford’s victims — one of whom paid him more than £13,000 from her personal savings — began to suspect something was wrong after a series of delivery dates were missed.

Greenock Sheriff Court heard how his multiple frauds sparked a series of reports to police in Greenock, Glasgow and Edinburgh which were stitched together and led back to him.

Prosecutor David Glancy said: “This was effectively a course of criminal conduct that goes from November 2015 up until January 2017.”

The court was told how Alford struck up a conversation with a computer printer company director in Greenock which led to a £20,500 ‘order’ after he’d gone to the man’s premises to buy an ink cartridge.

Fiscal depute Mr Glancy said: “Mr Alford was persuasive enough for the company director to be receptive and four payments were made between March 31 and April 15 2016.

“Delivery dates were agreed and they duly passed without any goods being delivered.”

Alford returned to the premises to discuss ‘delivery issues’ and made several calls to another person in the presence of company director which convinced the man that the ‘glitch’ would be dealt with, the court was told.

However, police were contacted after Alford failed to keep a subsequent promise to repay the money.

Prosecutor Mr Glancy said: “To date, no money has been refunded and the local branch of this business has sustained the loss.”

Alford also duped a 50-year-old woman — whom he knew through social and business contacts — into paying him £13,240.

Mr Glancy said: “In November 2015 Mr Alford texted her and he informed her that he could supply products at a discount, sourced from an Apple rep.

“The complainer disclosed this information to her 23-year-old son and friends and they took orders by way of tablets, phones and other products. The complainer and her son took the lead in paying for these items by electronic bank transfers.”

The court heard that Alford has repaid the woman just £1,150 and that she is ‘not optimistic about recovering the balance’.

He sent the woman a text message, stating: “I can’t believe I did this. I’m so sorry I did this to you.”

Mr Glancy told the court: “Another text message indicated that he was in a bad place and in with the wrong people.”

A 34-year-old man with whom he has a connection going back to school days paid him £4,000.

He contacted police after Alford arranged a rendezvous at a fast food restaurant following a series of failed deliveries and handed him a bag with two iPhone 7s — which also contained a receipt for the Apple store in Braehead.

Mr Glancy said: “It became clear to the man that things were not as they first seemed.”

Alford — who is currently in prison for other offences — also defrauded a woman out of £399 and another man out £450.
Sheriff Derek Hamilton, inset, deferred sentence until February 20 for a background report.

Defence advocate John McIlroy reserved his plea in mitigation on behalf of his client until then.