Rotorua motels hit by fraudster

A fraudster has scammed three Rotorua motels.

Three Rotorua motels were scammed out of $4400 after a habitual con artist pretended to book a room for an employee then failed to pay his bills. The scam left one woman questioning her trust in customers.

At the Rotorua District Court yesterday, Dean Goodall, 21, admitted nine charges of causing loss by deception, five charges of obtaining by deception, one of theft from a dwelling, one of burglary and three of failing to answer bail.

His scamming has resulted in a reparations bill of more than $33,000, with victims including moteliers, ASB and people who advertised on Trade Me.

Motel minder Marilyn Parker said Goodall led to her losing trust in people and changed the way she ran motels.

She was managing the Rose Court Motel on Fenton St when Goodall booked a room, claiming to be the owner of a construction company wanting a room for an employee and his partner.

He stayed for three weeks from May 31 to June 21 before he was caught, racking up a bill of $3976, which included food.

Ms Parker is no longer at the motel and is now looking for work as a motel minder.

"I'm a lot more wary these days," she said.

"It's made me change how I do things. It was a company booking but there was no company.

"Now I ask for payment up front, regardless. It was devastating. It doesn't happen a lot. You get the odd ones who run away for a day but none who set you up for a fall."

Goodall also stayed at the Novotel Rotorua for three nights and BK's Motor Lodge, Rotorua, for one night.

He also stayed in motels in Napier, Taupo, Hamilton and Manukau, fleeing without paying each time.

Goodall also stole money from his brother's bank account by accessing it via phone banking and transferring to a friend's mother's account. The friend then withdrew the cash from an ATM. Goodall transferred two lots of $1200 but could retrieve only $2150, due to the other account being in debt on the first occasion.

He also used Trade Me as a means to find victims. He took vehicles - a Mazda, two Mercedes Benz, a Mitsubishi Lancer and an Isuzu - by agreeing to buy them and then failing to transfer the money into the vendors' accounts.

On one occasion, he gave a cheque in case the transfer did not work but the cheque bounced.

Police have not found the Mazda and Isuzu.

Goodall twice agreed to rent a room in two Auckland homes but, instead of moving in, stole laptops and other items once he had been given keys or swipe cards.

He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on November 29.