A MUM who tried to con Barclay’s Bank with a fraudulent letter riddled with spelling and grammar errors will be helped by the probation service.

Samantha Fardon had created a letter, purportedly from the ‘bank crad department’, and delivered it to the staff at the Swindon branch, claiming she could withdraw £2,000.

Staff immediately realised the con, as the letter carried a scanned logo and a number of spelling errors. After phoning the correct credit department it was confirmed the letter had not come from them.

Fardon, 31, of Bruce Street, has a history of fraud which subsided after she settled down and had children. Old habits emerged after her fiance’s developed a terminal illness.

She admitted one count of fraud by false representation at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

“She banks with Barclay’s bank and she says in February her card had been used fraudulently,” said Pauline Lambert, prosecuting.

“The fraud itself is in September last year, when she has gone into the branch with her three children, and she gives a letter that she has created to a member of staff there.

“The letter says the branch is authorised to give discretionary payment of up to £2,000 to her. When they look at the letter there is very basic grammar and spelling errors. The logo appeared to have been scanned, not printed, and she is advised they have to investigate it.

“Her previous convictions will show there has been over a period of time a lot of fraudulent activity, with the last conviction in 2006, where she received a suspended sentence order. There is no loss to Barclay’s Bank in this matter.”

Tony Hall, defending, said: “She has had eight-and-a-half years clear, and what goes before that is not pretty reading. What turned this lady’s life around was the love of a good man. He was told he was suffering from a terminal illness and had maybe a year to live. Within a couple of months he was dead.

“They had been engaged, and did not think to bring forward the marriage. She had been a victim of fraud herself some months previously. Using a genuine letter she had from Barclay’s she created another, which came to nothing.

"Somebody doing an ordinary shift at the bank thought to investigate it, and away she was sent. In due course the police said they wanted a word with her and she went in as a volunteer.”

Fardon was given a 12-month community order with 12 months of supervision with the probation service and ordered to pay a £60 surcharge.