Narinder Kaur, a 54-year-old woman of Indian origin, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for an extensive shoplifting and refund fraud operation across England and Wales. Over more than four years, Kaur stole from high street stores and claimed refunds, amassing over ₹5 crore.
Operating under 17 different aliases, Kaur was convicted of 26 counts of fraud, money laundering, and perverting the course of justice, as reported by The Guardian. Her scheme involved returning stolen goods for cash refunds, earning her over half a million pounds. From July 2015 to September 2019, she targeted stores such as Boots, House of Fraser, Monsoon, and Homebase in cities including Cardiff, Oxford, Winchester, Exeter, and Bath.
Kaur's criminal activities extended beyond shoplifting. She attempted to defraud Wiltshire Council out of £7,400 (approximately ₹8 lakh) by using stolen credit card details for a payment and then demanding an inflated refund.
Kaur's fraudulent activities first drew attention in 2016, prompting a joint investigation by Wiltshire and West Mercia police forces in 2020. Despite the ongoing investigation, Kaur continued her shoplifting and refund scams unabated.
She was arrested in October 2020 after attempting to shoplift and claim a refund at a Swindon retail park. However, even after being granted bail, Kaur persisted in her criminal behaviour and was rearrested in 2021 for trying to return stolen goods at Asda stores in Melksham and Swindon.
"Kaur is a calculated individual who committed offences across the country, dishonestly claiming refunds on items she had stolen. She showed no remorse. She is, without doubt, the most dishonest person I’ve ever dealt with in 40 years of policing," said Steve Tristram, a fraud investigator from West Mercia police’s economic crime unit, in an interview with The Guardian.