A crooked bank worker cheated a group of pals out of £36,000 in a foreign currency scam to fund his football gambling addiction.
David Hay was employed as a financial investigator with HSBC when he carried out the swindle to allow him to bet “as much money as possible” online.
One of Hay’s victims was forced to take out a £29,000 loan to reimburse friends after he recommended they invest cash with the con artist.
Hay’s ex-wife also took out a £25,000 loan to pay back people who had been targeted by the fraudulent scheme.
Hay, 42, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday and admitted obtaining £35,970 by fraud.
Fiscal depute Anna Chisholm told how Hay contacted victim Garry Small, whom he knew through family friends, over WhatsApp.
The court was told Hay claimed he could provide euros and dollars at “excellent rates” as he received the currency from a HSBC senior manager in Paris.
Ms Chisholm said Hay claimed the manager bought currency back “at cost” and this was “given to him cheaply and all the money went back to HSBC”.
She said Garry made bank transfers amounting to £20,000 to Hay, and there were “no issues at first” with the foreign currency collected at the accused’s home several times.
Garry “spread the…
