Fraudsters who scammed hundreds of vehicle buyers ordered to pay back almost £100,000

Patrick Stokes, 36, of Rookes Crescent, Chelmsford, was ordered to repay £97,340.17, while Michael Stokes, 31, of Oakmount Road, Eastleigh, was ordered to repay £1,347 following hearings held in last month.

It comes after the pair were jailed for two-and-a-half years in prison in November 2025 after being convicted for their part in a conspiracy that defrauded hundreds of people through fake online vehicle adverts.

Police believe around 300 victims were defrauded through their scam.

In June 2020, detectives in South Yorkshire Police’s economic crime unit identified a series of crimes in relation to fraudulent vehicle adverts.

A vehicle, usually a van, would be advertised on an online shopping platform. A buyer would contact the seller and a deposit would be transferred into a bank account before the seller would provide instructions on where to collect the vehicle from.

The location given to the buyer would be a completely random address occupied by a person who had nothing to do with the advert.

The van would never be there, meaning potential buyers had been scammed.

Through a combination of traditional and covert policing tactics Patrick Stokes and Michael Stokes were identified as some of the perpetrators of this elaborate operation.

Since the pair were jailed, police have investigated how much money the pair have which can be paid back into the system.

This includes money in the bank as well as assets such as property and vehicles. In the case of Patrick Stokes, this also included a £12,000 watch.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “Our Asset Recovery Team works hard to secured Proceeds of Crime Orders against people who have made money through criminal activity, ensuring they are not able to continue to benefit from their illegal behaviour.

“Patrick and Michael Stokes have been ordered to pay back money they made through fraudulent vehicle adverts.”