A SERIAL fraudster who cheated customers out of more than £30,000 for bogus debt ‘leads’ has been given six months to prove that he has mended his ways.

In his most successful con, Akbar Ullah, 36, who was posing as the managing director of a debts management firm, was able to cheat victim Bill Blackburn out of £12,000, Burnley Crown Court was told.

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And another dupe, Jamie Davis, handed over £6,750 for 100 debt management ‘leads’ which were not successfully delivered, the court heard.

Three other victims of Ullah, of Leeds Road, Nelson, parted with £3,000, another handed over £2,375 and a seventh was defrauded of £1,200, according to prosecutors.

He admitted seven offences of fraud by false representation, between September, 2012, and October, 2013, at a previous hearing in December.

And when Ullah appeared to be dealt with by Judge Beverley Lunt, sentence was deferred for six months and he was bailed until July 6.

But the fraud is not the first time that Ullah has appeared before a judge over a debt management con.

He appeared in court in February, 2012, over another £30,000-plus scam, involving a number of leading debt management companies, including Debt Advisory Line, Debt Matters, Debt Free Direct and Money Debit and Credit.

Ullah managed to persuade one outfit to hand over £11,250, for the promise of 150 leads, which failed to materialise. He was jailed for 12 months after claiming to have a large call centre.

Ullah will also face a further hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act to establish whether he had made profits from his criminal enterprise.