Lloyds Bank fraud and security chief admits she conned bank out of £2.4m

Published on 08/08/2012 01:39

A FORMER Lloyds bank boss in charge of online security has
admitted a £2.4 million fraud.

Jessica Harper took the money over a four-year period while working as head of fraud and security for digital banking at Lloyds Banking Group.

Harper, 50, stood in the dock yesterday at Southwark Crown Court, London, and admitted a single charge of fraud by abuse of position by submitting false invoices to claim payments totalling £2,463,750.

She also admitted a single charge of transferring criminal property, the money, which she had defrauded from her
employers.

Harper, from Croydon, south London, carried on the fraud between 28 December, 2007, and 21 December last year, the court heard.

Antony Swift, prosecuting, did not open the facts of the case, but said it was a “a very
simple fraud”.

He added that Harper had already repaid £300,000 and was in the process of selling her house for about £700,000.

“That will be some £1m out of £2.5m that’s gone missing,” he told the judge.

Carol Hawley, defending, said: “She appreciates the seriousness and has made full admissions in interview. She understands perfectly well on the next occasion she will be facing imprisonment of some length.”

Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith granted Harper bail on the condition she stays at her current address, obeys a 9pm to 7am curfew and hands in her
passport.

Sue Patten, head of the Crown Prosecution Service, Central Fraud Division, said: “Jessica Harper has today been convicted of the type of crime the bank employed her to 
combat.

“The evidence in the case was clear and left Harper with little choice but to plead guilty.

“In doing so, she has admitted to a huge breach of trust against her former employer.”