Fraudulent car dealer clocked-up £190,000 in sales

A fraudulent car dealer who clocked-up £190,000 in sales has been issued with a suspended prison sentence and an order to repay over £33,000 in proceeds of crime.

Dariusz Pipcyznski sold cars via Facebook and Gumtree using false identities and without declaring that he was a valid trader, leaving customers unaware of their rights to a repair or refund.

Following an investigation by Milton Keynes Trading Standards Pipcyznski pleaded guilty to the offences under the Fraud Act 2006 at Aylesbury Crown Court on February 23.

And this week the authority confirmed that he had been handed a 17-month prison sentence, suspended over two years, along with an order to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Pipcyznski has also been ordered to repay £33,654 in proceeds of crime and £7,000 in legal costs.

Sue Crawley, Trading Standards Manager at MK Council, said: “Pipcyznski duped customers into thinking that they were buying their car from private seller rather than a business.

“Trading Standards seeks to protect the rights of consumers to ensure that they have the legal redress they are entitled. 

“Hopefully this case will send a message to other traders who masquerade as private sellers that we will take robust enforcement action where necessary.”