Scammer Richard Lester invited customers to buy cruise miles via his Cruisevoucher website at discounted rates, which they could then exchange for cruises, but then did not go on to book their holidays.
Customers would buy their cruise vouchers up to three years in advance, but Lester instead used their money to pay for earlier customers’ cruises.
He even managed to recruit some of his victims as agents to perpetuate the scheme, tasking them with selling more and more miles to potential customers in return for commission that never materialised.
In 2011, Lester expanded his criminal enterprise; he renamed the company Cruisemiles and stopped booking customers’ cruises altogether, keeping the money for himself.
Lester, 56, of Swifts Green Road in Luton, was eventually found to have defrauded 184 people out of nearly £407,000 over a four-year period from 2009 to 2013.
Police said he used several aliases to avoid justice, going by names including Henry Lester, Les Richards, Richie Lescovitch and Barry Williams – even "Lord Lester".
His victims, who hailed not just from the UK but also, France, Australia and Japan, raised the alarm when they turned up for their holidays only to be turned away by their cruise operator.
In 2013, the UK National Fraud Intelligence Bureau passed its evidence onto Essex Police, which opened a lengthy investigation into Lester’s offending.
"[Victims] were tricked into committing more and more money to his scheme, unaware that money was going directly into Lester’s pocket,” said PC Leanne Smith, who has been on the case since 2014.
“Lester poured funds into a lavish lifestyle he bragged about to the same victims’ he defrauded. Money was frittered away on online poker websites and his other business interests.”
Lester will be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on 11 February 2025, the court where he was convicted this week.
Following the conviction, ROL Cruise (Readers Offers Ltd) has sought to distance its Cruise Miles loyalty programme from Lester’s actions.
"[We] would like to categorically clarify that this fraudulent enterprise is in no way associated with our company, our long-established Cruise Miles loyalty programme, or any of our affiliated brands," said ROL in a statement.
"We wish to state unequivocally that ROL Cruise, Reader Offers Ltd., and our Cruise Miles trademark and programme have no connection with this convicted individual or his activities."
