Elliot Castro

Ex-fraudster Elliot Castro was working in a mobile phone call centre in Glasgow at the age of 15 when he discovered that it was very easy to take over the credit card accounts of customers, and that he had access to enormous amounts of customers’ personal data – and the power to do what he wanted with the sensitive information.

Clever, and morally blinded by power and greed, Elliot ascended from haircuts and CDs to designer watches worth £12,000 and first class flights. For five years he was chased by detectives and was finally caught in 2004 and sent to prison for two years at the age of 22.

He had spent about £2 million.

With time and scope for soul-searching, Elliot decided to turn his life around when he left prison, and became a highly respected independent  fraud prevention consultant . He is dedicated to helping businesses , financial institutions , and law enforcement departments keep their assets secure.

With a unique insight into the psychology of fraudsters, he can identify the methods they use and crack their opportunistic scams.

His book Other People's Money told the tales of his exploits and was a great success. Elliot makes regular appearances on TV and radio as a guest on consumer affairs and security and risk, and is a part-time DJ.

Full of remorse and insight, Elliot is honest, authentic and intelligent, and his wisdom and experience in the realms of financial fraud make him a sought-after keynote speaker , called on by businesses to help them prevent hacking and financial crime.