ALICANTE — Philip Foster, a 51-year-old former actor, was detained by Guardia Civil officers on Thursday after being convicted in absentia of fraud and money laundering. He is wanted to serve an eight-and-a-half-year sentence in the United Kingdom.
Foster was convicted and sentenced in his absence at Sheffield Crown Court in February 2025, according to the National Crime Agency. He had jumped bail prior to his trial. The NCA confirmed that extradition proceedings are now under way.
The fraud operation ran for more than eight years through a network of sham modeling agencies that exploited the aspirations of young models and their parents. A six-year investigation by National Trading Standards uncovered losses of £13.6 million affecting over 6,000 victims.
Foster orchestrated the fraud from Spain, using his share of the proceeds to purchase high-end watches and cars. His associates operated sham agencies and photography studios across England in London, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Coventry and Nottingham.
The scheme began with victims responding to local studio advertisements and social media campaigns. They received emails suggesting they had modeling potential and were invited for a free test shoot. After the test shoot, victims were told they had passed and needed to purchase portfolio photographs to join an agency and secure work. Many resorted to credit arrangements or payday loans to pay for the portfolios, which were poor quality and offered no real prospect of professional employment.
National Trading Standards documented accounts from victims who reported being financially and emotionally devastated by the scam.
Foster's arrest marks the fourth apprehension in the NCA's recent most wanted campaign.
