A WOMAN has avoided a prison sentence for her role in an internet scam which cost investors £197,500.
Joanne Marston was a director of Tenretni, a company which sold websites and a training package so that people could carry out "affiliate marketing" – earning commission from promoting other companies' products on their website.
The scam involved promising large monthly incomes to people who each invested between £15,000 and £30,000.
These incomes never materialised but investors were still encouraged to pay more to supposedly increase their earning potential.
Marston, 30, of Brooklands Drive, Gedling, and fellow director Michael Taylor, 45, of Cwrt Naomi, North Dock, Llanelli, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud.
Taylor was jailed for 32 months and Marston was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years. She will also have to do 180 hours of unpaid work.
Judge Huw Davies, at Swansea Crown Court, told the pair: "A significant number of people lost everything that they put in.
"As you knew, many of these people could not really afford the investment.
"There were investors who were so desperately worried about the consequences that they became ill, chronically ill. There were investors who lost a cherished family home and investors who borrowed in order to invest at a cost they simply could not sustain and are carrying ever increasing costs as a result.
"These people were not naive, they were trusting and they put their trust in the wrong people."
The case was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council after a four-year investigation by its Trading Standards Service.
Andrew Davies, for the prosecution, said that Taylor was a co-founder of the company Tenretni – internet spelled backwards – in 2003, but it was dormant until 2007 when it began to market affiliated websites on e-bay.
Victims of the scam who bought websites would be encouraged to become investors in the company, believing they were purchasing a one third share – but the defendants were selling shares to as many people as they could convince to invest. Mr Davies said that Marston was originally a victim and had bought websites from Taylor, who then persuaded her to join the company.
Ian Wright, for Marston, urged the court to impose a suspended prison sentence.
Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for public protection, Councillor Jim Jones, said: "We are pleased that this case has been brought to a successful conclusion and that the victims are receiving some compensation for their losses."