High Street Retailers Rocked by £500,000 Fraud: Woman Jailed for 10 Years After Massive Refund Scam

Refund Scam Mastermind Hits Over 1,000 Retailers

If there’s a textbook for high street fraud, Narinder Kaur just rewrote it. For four years, she ran a scheme involving stolen goods and fake refunds that cost UK retailers half a million pounds. From 2015 to 2019, Kaur—also known in her criminal world as Nina Tiara—was quietly moving through Britain’s busiest shops. The list of victims reads like a who’s who of the high street: Boots, Debenhams, John Lewis, Monsoon, House of Fraser, TK Maxx, and dozens more.

But it wasn’t quick or simple theft. Her plan was almost industrial, involving more than just pocketing things off shelves. Kaur would steal items and then come back—sometimes to the same store, sometimes to others—demanding refunds for the goods she’d never actually bought. She’d show up with receipts, sometimes real, sometimes forged or mismatched, and convinced retail workers to hand over cash.

She didn’t stop at just a few shops or a handful of receipts. Over 1,000 outlets lost money to her scam. At the height of her success, she was making over £2,000 a week—more than most people take home in a month—all while hiding behind at least 17 different identities. That’s not just quick thinking; it’s calculated, high-stakes deception spanning years and counties.

Sophisticated Tactics and a History of Crime

Retail fraud might sound like a low-key hustle, but Kaur turned it into a nationwide operation. She legally changed her name, opened a string of new bank accounts, and created a maze of identities. Whenever stores or law enforcement started catching up, she’d simply become someone new on paper, slipping past red flags and fraud detection systems.

Authorities eventually pieced together how she’d kept the scam alive for so long. Investigators said it took dozens of police, bank staff, and retail security teams to finally connect the dots. Her criminal record stretched back to her teenage years, showing this wasn’t a one-off crime spree. It was a lifestyle. Prosecutors said she was completely unrepentant during interviews, never once admitting guilt or showing any real concern for the havoc she caused to staff and shop owners across Britain.

The court heard that in March 2023, Kaur was found guilty on 26 charges covering fraud, money laundering, and perverting the course of justice. A judge called her actions a ‘tsunami of dishonesty,’ and stressed just how much effort it took to stop her. This wasn’t just about shoplifting; it was a web of criminal activity that made everyday retailers into victims over and over again.

This case underlines just how inventive retail fraud can get, especially when someone is determined to find holes in the system. If anything, police and retailers say it’s a warning. The next mastermind might be watching from the other side of the counter, plotting a new playbook for high street deception.