Former soap actor Philip Foster arrested in Spain over £13.6m modelling fraud
Philip Foster, 51, was arrested in Alicante after jumping bail ahead of his trial for a £13.6m fraud targeting aspiring models. He was convicted and sentenced to eight and a half years in his absence.
Ex-soap actor arrested in Alicante after £13.6m modelling scam conviction
Philip Foster, 51, a former TV soap actor who played Christian Wright in the Liverpool-based series, was arrested in Alicante on Thursday, Sky News reports, after fleeing the UK before standing trial for a £13.6 million fraud targeting aspiring models.
Foster had been convicted and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison in his absence at Sheffield Crown Court in February 2025, following a lengthy investigation into sham modelling agencies he operated for more than eight years.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed the arrest and said extradition proceedings to return Foster to the UK are now under way.
A National Trading Standards (NTS) investigation identified more than 6,000 victims who handed over large sums of money on the false promise of paid modelling work. Foster directed the operation from his base in Marbella, using a network of associates across England to run fake agencies and photography studios in cities including London, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Coventry and Nottingham.
Victims were initially contacted after responding to adverts placed by local photographic studios and on social media. Emails informed them they had modelling potential and that an agency was interested in them. They were then told they needed to purchase portfolio photographs from the studio as a condition of agency representation.
To make those upfront payments, some victims took out credit deals arranged by the fraudsters themselves or turned to costly payday loans. In return, they received poor-quality digital images that offered little realistic prospect of securing professional modelling work. The NTS found that most victims never obtained paid work as a result.
NTS investigators heard from many victims who described being left financially and emotionally devastated, and feeling humiliated and betrayed. Foster, meanwhile, spent his share of the proceeds on high-end watches and cars.
The NTS investigation that uncovered the scheme spanned six years. Foster jumped bail before the case came to trial, prompting his subsequent conviction in absentia and the international effort to locate him.
The NCA confirmed Foster was taken into custody in Alicante on Thursday, with extradition proceedings now initiated to bring him back to serve his sentence in the UK.
Source: Sky News