Finulla MacSporran: Parkdale conwoman cries in court, faces raft of deception, theft charges

A Parkdale fraudster has been jailed over a two-year web of lies and identify theft across Melbourne which left scores of victims in its wake.

A Parkdale mum has fronted court over a raft of deception and theft charges. Picture: LinkedIn

A Parkdale scam artist who used her victim’s identities to rent apartments and buy luxury cars has been jailed.

For two years, Finulla MacSporran wove an intricate web of lies, falsifying documents and using stolen credit cards to rack up more than 40 criminal charges, including obtaining property by deception, obtaining financial advantage by deception and theft of a motor vehicle.

MacSporran, 36, showed little remorse as the charges were read out in court on December 9, shrugging and shaking her head.

Days earlier the mother of two had wept in court while on video link from her prison cell, telling the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court she “wants to go home”.

She told the court she had “no intentions” of being dishonest, however Magistrate Stephen Lee said the offending had clearly been “calculated”.

“What you have done is intentional and deliberate, it’s nothing spontaneous or spur-of-the-moment,” he said.

“You have deployed considerable time, effort and skill into mastering the online environment to deceive a wide range of persons.

“The web of lies and deceit reeks of fundamental dishonesty in your dealings with the entire world around you (and) you have left a trail of victims in your wake.”

The court previously heard a police search of the Parkdale unit MacSporran had rented using fraudulent bank documents revealed meticulous spreadsheets containing names and personal details of scores of victims who had reported their credit cards and driver’s licences stolen.

In August, the mother of two sent a fake bank transfer screenshot to a car seller on eBay before picking up the BMW in Port Melbourne.

She repeated the shift manoeuvre twice that same day.

MacSporran’s eBay antics came to a halt in September when a suspicious Toyota Kluger seller made inquiries about the phone number linked to ‘Carly’s’ account.

The number rang through to a woman who told the man her identity had been stolen, with her cards frequently used to make fraudulent purchases.

The smart seller called police, arranging for them to be on watch when he met ‘Carly’ for an inspection in Ormond.

Police pounced when MacSporran turned up, finding a syringe and pile of fake documents in the car she’d arrived in.

In an interview, MacSporran told officers her offending was a “matter of mistaken identity” and “series of coincidences.”

The court heard the former engineering firm executive assistant had been addicted to ice during the two-year crime spree.

MacSporran’s lawyer told the court his client had been doing “reasonably well” before she was arrested for breaching bail.

He said the mother of two had “fallen off a cliff” following a tumultuous divorce which left her with piling debt.

MacSporran was sentenced to 16 months behind bars. She must serve a minimum of 10 months before she is eligible for parole.

She has also been ordered to pay about $7000 in compensation to some of the victims and had her licence cancelled for 30 months.