A serial fraudster and repeat offender who defrauded his victims out of more than £75,000 has been sentenced to a further three years and nine months in prison.
Carl Nicholas Mould, 58, of HMP Ranby, Nottinghamshire, previously pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud by false representation under the Fraud Act 2006 at Nottingham Crown Court on 5th September 2024. The custodial sentence handed down today was reduced from a starting point of five years with 25% credit given for a guilty plea before trial.
Mr Mould also received a criminal behaviour order preventing him from engaging in work in the homes of consumers for a period of ten years.
His successful prosecution follows an investigation by the National Trading Standards Regional Investigation Team (East Midlands), which is hosted by Nottinghamshire County Council. This is not the first time Mr Mould has been found guilty of fraud offences; he was previously prosecuted by Trading Standards for similar matters in 2013.
The Court heard that between June 2020 and December 2022 Mr Mould set up the company Advanced Home and Garden Limited using the alias Carlton Harwell. This was one of a number of aliases used by Mr Mould to avoid detection.
Mr Mould targeted homeowners who required property repairs and home improvement works. He advertised his services using online trader matching platforms, where he crafted an online profile that portrayed the business as credible, professional and reputable.
Mr Mould visited customers in their own homes and – often using a false name – persuaded victims to agree to works, convincing them to agree to a full range of home improvements such as driveways, fencing, damp proofing, plumbing, bathroom fitting, tiling, carpentry, carpet fitting and double-glazing installations.
Victims paid large deposits upfront, but once works commenced they quickly ran into problems with delays and poor-quality workmanship. On occasions, Mr Mould claimed unforeseen and additional works would be required at extra cost to the victims. Some victims made additional payments in the belief that the additional money would allow works to progress and be completed. Mr Mould, however, had no intention of completing the work and once he had extracted as much profit from the projects as he could, he left the works incomplete, in disrepair, in a sub-standard condition and far from the agreed specification originally promised to the victims.
Councillor Gordon Wheeler, Deputy Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council, said:
“We would like to thank all the victims who came forward and worked with our investigators to bring Carl Mould to justice. This sentence sends a strong message to fraudsters that this type of unscrupulous activity will not be tolerated.
“We always advise residents to be alert to cold calling, never to trade or buy at the door and to always report any concerns. If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t, and you should never be afraid to close the door on scammers and those who turn up out of the blue offering to provide services that you do not need.”
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair of National Trading Standards, said:
“Homeowners lost thousands of pounds after being deliberately misled by Carl Mould, who offered low quotes to secure home improvement jobs, charged thousands of pounds in deposits and then failed to complete the work.
“Fraudulent builders can cause significant distress to homeowners who pay their hard-earned money in good faith but end up paying out significantly more. We will continue to take action to protect neighbourhoods from harm and encourage people to report suspected cases of fraud it to the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline by calling 0808 223 1133.”
If you or someone you know has experienced problems of this nature or has concerns about the trading practices of a particular trader, they are encouraged to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133. Those who believe they may be the victims of fraudsters can also contact Action Fraud via the website: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime.
Notes to Editors
For more information, please contact the National Trading Standards Press Office by emailing press@nationaltradingstandards.co.uk or calling 020 7101 5013.
Notes to Editors
About National Trading Standards
National Trading Standards delivers national and regional consumer protection enforcement. Its Board is made up of senior and experienced heads of local government trading standards from around England and Wales with an independent Chair. Its purpose is to protect consumers and safeguard legitimate businesses by tackling serious national and regional consumer protection issues and organised criminality and by providing a “safety net” to limit unsafe consumer goods entering the UK and protecting food supplies by ensuring the animal feed chain is safe.