Gambling Addiction Crime

An operation specialist of Barclays Bank stole £127,471 from customer accounts since January 1, 2010, the Birmingham Crown Court heard. Julia Finney, 29, pleaded guilty to stealing the cash over a three-year period on July 4, 2013 the Birmingham Mail reports.

Finney was accused of fabricating nearly 200 separate transactions from customer accounts. The fraudulent transfers were fictitious amounts using ‘sundries accounts’ at the bank which Finney credits into her sole and joint accounts. A routine audit by the bank managed to pick up Finney's fraud which committed at the Barclay Bank, Colmore Row, Birmingham. Alan White, spokesman for Barclays Bank, said: "Whilst rare, staff fraud simply isn’t tolerated. We work with the relevant authorities to ensure matters such as this are dealt with in the appropriate way."

It was learned that most of the stolen cash was used to feed short-term payday loans to pay off her gambling debts that she had built up. As an operation specialist, Finney should know the consequences of taking a loan form payday loan companies. The desperation to get easy and fast loan approval offered by these firms must be the main attraction for her. She just wanted money fast to feed her addiction. The consequences never did come to mind. It is still beyond my comprehension that experts of money could lose their rationality where gambling is concern.