Jay Austin, a 44-year-old resident of Greater Manchester, is accused of defrauding parents of the RS Lionesses football team of more than £27,000. The allegations suggest Austin sold young girls the promise of elite competition at Premier League stadiums and international events while failing to secure actual tournament spots.

The £8,500 Paris International Cup deception

One of the most significant allegations involves a collective payment of £8,500 made by parents to secure a place for the RS Lionesses in the Paris International Cup. Despite this substantial upfront cost, the report states that Austin never actually secured a spot for the team in the tournament, which was set to take place at the Paris St Germain training ground.

Beyond the Paris tournament, parents reported being charged for matches that were actually free to enter or sponsored by hosting clubs. The report also notes that families paid for football kits that were never delivered, alongside various registration fees and monthly subscriptions intended to maintain the girls' places on the team.

A pattern of fraud from Royal Ascot to Jamie Vardy lookalikes

The current accusations against Jay Austin follow a lengthy history of similar fraudulent behavior spanning nearly two decades. In 2008, Austin was convicted of using his grandparents' identities to open bank accounts to cover gambling debts . By 2012, he was jailed for two years after being caught passing counterfeit banknotes at Royal Ascot.

Austin’s history of targeting high-profile or niche figures includes a 2017 dispute with Lee Chapman, a man known for his resemblance to Leicester City player Jamie Vardy. As reported by the Daily Mail, Chapman claimed he received only a fraction of the appearance fees promised by Austin. Furthermore, in 2021, glamour model Katie Price accused Austin of attempting to exploit her son,Harvey Price.

Lancashire FA's suspension and the struggle for refunds

Following the emergence of these allegations, the Lancashire FA has suspended the RS Lionesses team. Jay Austin has also been issued an interim suspension order and faces charges for bringing the game into disrepute. In a WhatsApp voice note, Austin reportedly admitted to being in "massive debt" with maxed-out credit cards and loans, claiming he intended to repay victims in time.

While dozens of families have contacted their banks to report the losses as authorised push payment (APP) scams, most have yet to recover any money. in response to the financial crisis, the families have launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of £2,000 to help the girls still reach Paris this summer.

Will the banks reimburse the RS Lionesses' families?

Several critical questions remain regarding the financial recovery of the victims. It is currently unclear how many of the families who reported the transactions as APP scams will successfully receive refunds from their respective banks. Additionally , given Austin's admission of "maxed out" credit cards and snowballing loans, the likelihood of direct repayment from him remains highly uncertain.