A man who scammed people on Facebook by sending them fake screenshots of banking transactions in a single month amassed over $130,000 worth of items in a bid to pay off a substantial drug debt.
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Kyle James Wadley pleaded guilty in the Launceston Magistrates Court to several offences, which included obtaining goods by false pretences, attempting to obtain goods by false pretences, dishonestly acquiring a financial advantage and aggravated burglary.
Police prosecutions spent over an hour outlining Wadley's unsophisticated offending.
The court was told of numerous occasions in September where Wadley would contact people on the Facebook marketplace looking to buy phones.
The phones ranged from $1000-$2500 and Wadley would contact people using his real name, phone number and address and provide them with fake screenshots of bank transactions.
Prosecutions outlined other examples where Wadley coaxed his victims into giving him items without paying for them in full. It was revealed in court that Wadley would also hand victims one $50 note in an envelope with paper in it.
On September 24, 2022, Wadley contacted a community member to purchase a motorbike for $10,000 and a separate motorbike for $16,500 on the Facebook marketplace.
On both occasions, he convinced his victims he had paid them the appropriate amount by sending them false screenshots of bank transactions.
On September 26, 2022, Wadley contacted a victim on the Facebook marketplace to purchase a car for $25,000 and sent a false screenshot of a bank transaction to convince his victim.
On September 28, 2022, Wadley offered to purchase a Holden Commodore from the Facebook marketplace for $56,000 and obtained the car by false pretences.
Wadley's lawyer, Francis McCracken, said altogether, including the attempts to obtain false goods, the offending was equal to $186,512.
Ms McCracken said her client had previously been a different person when he was sober. However, drugs derailed his life.
She said his use of meth was incredibly concerning, and he became indebted to people in society to an extreme degree.
The court was also told Wadley was involved in a vicious cycle and was constantly trying to work his drug debt down.
She said her client would accept the repercussions of the offending and said he was concerned about being released back into the public.
Wadley has been in custody since September 29, 2022, and will be sentenced in the Launceston Magistrates Court on March 27.
Satria Dyer-Darmawan
Satria Dyer-Darmawan is a journalist for The Examiner and considers himself to be an all rounder. Originally from the Central Coast of NSW, Satria has worked in Alice Springs and North Queensland and isn't afraid to immerse himself in regional communities.
Satria Dyer-Darmawan is a journalist for The Examiner and considers himself to be an all rounder. Originally from the Central Coast of NSW, Satria has worked in Alice Springs and North Queensland and isn't afraid to immerse himself in regional communities.
