A mother-of-four who ran a counterfeit designer clothing business on Instagram has been jailed after police found more than £4 million in her business accounts while she was claiming benefits.
Megan Carney-Borrowman, 35, of Southport, Merseyside, sold fake Chanel, Hugo Boss, Versace and Burberry clothing on social media. Business accounts linked to her showed over £4 million was deposited between 2019 and 2023, with at least £750,000 transferred into her personal account. During that time, she was claiming Universal Credit.
Investigation started by a customer complaint
The investigation began when a dissatisfied customer complained to Chanel that she had been duped and couldn't return a bag. The shopper gave Chanel the name "Meg Carney" and an Instagram account, "dollies_closetx21x". Chanel's investigation found the account had 24,000 followers. Another account, "mile_high_clobber", advertised men's clothing, including items from Chanel and Burberry.
Investigators made a test purchase, which prompted a message saying there would be no refunds or exchanges. The complainant's payment was directed to a company whose directors were originally Carney and Yaffe. Carney-Borrowman took over the firm after the pair resigned. Chanel notified the City of London Police, who passed the investigation to the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) in August 2022.
Hidden cash and a false insurance claim
Search warrants were executed in November 2022, during which Carney's phone was seized. Carney-Borrowman handed over her son's mobile in an attempt to deceive detectives. After her first arrest, her home was searched again in April 2023, when officers found her phone on top of her curtains and £158,000 in cash hidden in her baby's bedroom. She claimed it was her children's savings.
The court heard that Carney-Borrowman had eight business bank accounts and 18 personal accounts, some in the names of her own children. Between 2019 and 2023, nearly £4,319,952.73 was paid into the business accounts, and £753,419.50 of that was transferred to her personal accounts.
She was also found to have claimed thousands for a "lost" Rolex removed from her wrist during a search of her three-storey house. An officer seized the watch in March 2024, which had the same serial number as the bogus insurance claim. She telephoned Halifax to say she had found the watch and wanted to repay the £8,000, but the bank was already aware that police had taken it.
Sentencing and consequences
Carney-Borrowman was arrested for benefit fraud in May 2024. Investigators from the Department for Work and Pensions found she had conned taxpayers out of £68,300 by failing to declare income from self-employment, the purchase of two houses, living with Borrowman and their joint assets.
Judge Louise Brandon told Liverpool Crown Court the business operated via Instagram and WhatsApp accounts, with "multiple" bank accounts, overseas suppliers and concealed payments. She added: "Involvement at any level of counterfeiting are grave offences. You all contributed. It is a consequence of your arrests that your families will also suffer from your criminality."
Carney-Borrowman was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. Her mother, Sandra Carney, 65, was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work. Husband Jordan Borrowman, 35, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and 120 hours of unpaid work. Adam Yaffe, 53, was sentenced to an 18-month community order and must complete 120 hours of unpaid work.
The court heard a proceeds of crime hearing would take place against all defendants other than Yaffe, where prosecutors would seek to seize the illicit profits.
