Man Convicted After Using Minister’s Image in Facebook Scam

A 26-year-old man who used the image of a senior government minister to pose as a legitimate official on Facebook and defraud a woman seeking help with a land transfer has been convicted and ordered to pay both a fine and compensation to his victim. Callie Barrow, a former employee of Brodie’s pharmacy department, entered a guilty plea following a plea agreement and was sentenced by High Court Justice Nigel Pilgrim. Barrow was fined $500.00 and ordered to pay his victim $700.00 in compensation. In default of paying the fine, he faces 12 months imprisonment.  According to the facts of the case, Barrow who was 25, used fraudulent Facebook account with a photograph of Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde as his profile picture, exploiting the minister’s public image to lend credibility to the scheme and scammed a woman who was seeking assistance with a land transfer, who paid $500.00 for the service.  The victim later discovered that the Facebook account was fake and that she had been defrauded, prompting the matter to be brought before the courts.  Justice Pilgrim’s decision to include a compensation order in the sentencing ensures that the victim receives some measure of financial restitution for her loss.