A father and son have been jailed for a total of five years after pocketing £136,000 in an elaborate iron fraud scheme.
Paul Mathews, 62, and 40-year-old Dean Mathews, both of Wisbech, bought heavily discounted Tefal steam irons, worth £400, and then returned them to Argos with forged receipts.
The father and son did this so often that they pocketed £136,000 before they were eventually caught and jailed for three and two years respectively, at Norwich Crown Court on 13 August.
The steam irons the pair purchased were reconditioned, meaning they had been repaired and resold at a discounted price.
The pair would then forge receipts and return the items to Argos, claiming they had been originally purchased there.
In total, there were 528 transactions of items being exchanged or returned by Paul and Dean Mathews, dating as far back as 2021.
Sometimes refunds were also sought in the form of Argos gift cards.
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Suspicions were first raised by Argos, and after being investigated the full extent of the father and son’s scheme was uncovered.
Both men were initially arrested in February 2024 for fraud and money laundering offences.
They both answered “no comment” throughout police interviews.
During a search of their home, a number of items were seized including three Tefal steam irons in an Argos carrier bag, in the boot of a car belonging to Dean Mathews.
Both men were bailed on the condition they could not visit Argos stores but within 24 hours they continued their crime spree.
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This went on until early May 2024 where their bail-breaching trips were discovered.
Both men were re-arrested and during a second search, officers found bank cards linked to the fraud at Argos, hidden inside a clock.
A further 19 new offences were also put forward to them in interview, all of which took place during their conditional bail period.
This time, they were remanded in custody.
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Detective Chief Inspector Lee Parish, from the fraud operations team at the City of London Police, said: “This was an elaborate plot with a very simple objective – make as much money as possible.
“Both men will now serve time in prison for their actions, which should serve as a lesson to those being tempted by illegal get-rich-quick schemes.
“You will eventually be found out, and we will pursue you until justice is served.”
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He added: “Retail fraud has a huge impact on a very human level. The impact of this fraud has a human element when you consider that businesses rely on profitability to pay their employees’ salaries, health benefits, and health insurance.”
