A FRAUDSTER who preyed on people’s good nature to con them has been busted thanks to The Argus.

Andrea Thorne, 29, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud after she approached people in the street in Brighton crying and insisting she needed money for train fare due to a personal emergency.

She regaled good-natured passers-by with her sob story and coerced them into handed over cash – telling them she needed to see her family in hospital or she needed to get back home to Horsham.

The Argus ran a story back in January with the account of one of the victims, Stephen Quinn, from Brighton, who noticed he had been conned when he saw Thorne approaching others after he had already given her £20.

After an appeal in the paper detectives said scores of victims of Thorne’s manipulation came forward – leading to her successful conviction.

The 61-year-old, who is himself an internationally renowned journalist, said he thought her prosecution shows “the power of the media”.

He said: “It is nice to see justice served, I feel sorry for the victims and I also feel sorry for the young woman.

“She got a suspended sentence but if she reoffends she will go to prison.

“It is rather unfortunate people have to scam to make a living.

“As I said at the time this woman should be pursuing a career on the stage as an actress as she is very convincing.”

Thorne, of North Road, Brighton, pleaded guilty to the counts of fraud from November 2014 to February 2015 when she appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court last week.

She was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and was ordered to attend a drug rehabilitation programmes as well as paying court costs of £85.

Sergeant Andrea Leahy said: “This was a series of frauds that really affected the community and the victims were upset that they had been conned.”