'Serial conman' accused of fleecing elite girl footballers' families out of £27,000 is arrested for fraud as detectives fear there may be more victims

By FRANCINE WOLFISZ, NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:02, 3 July 2026 | Updated: 00:02, 3 July 2026 A suspected conman accused of fleecing the families of an elite girls' football team out of more than £27,000 has been arrested for fraud. Jay Austin, 44, who also goes by the names James and Jamie, from Greater Manchester, was taken into custody on suspicion of fraud by false representation in relation to RS Lionesses, a FA-accredited grassroots club. Over the last three years, the team brought together more than 100 talented youngsters to play against girls signed to Premier League academies all over the UK. But parents claimed only a handful of the matches and tournaments Austin advertised actually went ahead, with dozens of parents reporting they were never refunded for cancelled matches.  They alleged Austin failed to pay entry fees, while some of the tournaments never existed. In some instances, parents were charged for tournaments that were sponsored by the hosting clubs and free to enter. Parents also shelled out for kits they did not receive, alongside hundreds of pounds in registration fees and monthly subscriptions to retain a place for their daughters in the team. Austin is also alleged to have pressured parents into collectively paying £8,500 upfront for the Paris International Cup, the first ever junior tournament which will be held this month at the prestigious Paris St Germain training ground. But with only weeks to go before the trip, the parents said they were stunned to discover Austin allegedly took the money but never actually secured a place for RS Lionesses. Jay Austin, 44, has been arrested over accusations he fleeced £27,000 out of parents of girls signed to an elite football team he founded  Parents claim Austin failed to pay entry fees, fabricated tournaments, charged for matches that were free to enter and failed to provide football kits, among other allegations. He has been released on bail pending further investigation Austin has been bailed pending further investigation, as Greater Manchester Police issued a plea for anyone else affected to come forward. The force said in a statement it believes 'there may be more victims out there who are as of yet unknown to us'. Affected parents said in a statement on Thursday they were 'pleased' their concerns had been taken seriously. They said: 'We've been listened to. Parents have worked hard to gather evidence and provide this to the police in the hope this never happens again.' As previously reported by Daily Mail, parents became increasingly concerned they may have fallen victim to a fraud. In April, they received a WhatsApp voice note, left by Austin and heard by Daily Mail, that he had 'messed up' and 'got myself into massive debt'.  He added: 'For the last eight months I've been struggling. I've got credit cards maxed out, I've got a loan which has snowballed, which I got out to support the football [team]. I've got a store card maxed out. It's my mess up and I can only repay people in time. It's my fault.' The team was suspended by Lancashire FA, while Austin was issued with an interim suspension order and charged with bringing the game into disrepute.  In a statement to Daily Mail, the FA said it was taking the allegations 'very seriously'.  Dozens of families have contacted their banks as victims of an authorised push payment (APP) scam, though most have yet to receive a penny back. They also launched a GoFundMe to send the girls to Paris this summer, which helped raise more than £5,000 for the team.  One parent, who said their loss comes to around £2,500, told Daily Mail he was 'absolutely fuming' over the situation. He said: 'I was trying to do something positive for my daughter. It's made me feel really angry. I thought I was too shrewd to fall for something like this'. The devastated father explained Austin had presented himself and the team on social media as an 'inside man' with connections at Premier League clubs, persuading him through repeated compliments about his daughter to part with money for upcoming 'opportunities' that could boost her career.  Austin, who previously ran a talent agency, has been accused by parents of pressuring them into paying fees for tournaments that never existed  Parents say they were pressured into collectively paying £8,500 upfront for the Paris International Cup - only to find Austin never actually secured a place for RS Lionesses Now he says he believes Austin was simply playing on his emotions. 'It was kind of like a guilt trip. When he was selling tournaments to me he would say, "I just thought it'd be a really good opportunity for your daughter". I never thought it was forceful, I never thought he was trying to twist my arm.  'It's only in hindsight now looking back that he was clearly just after the money and didn't really care about my daughter's development.' 'We need justice.  He needs to be taken down, because he's just gonna do it again. 'He's got no morals whatsoever. He just does whatever he likes. That's Jay Austin.' Another parent, who reported losing more than £1,400, said she felt 'groomed and manipulated' by Austin and was left 'devastated' after learning of the allegations. She said: 'The most horrifying part is knowing that I allowed someone capable of this behaviour to be close to my daughter because I believed the club was legitimate and properly safeguarded. 'My daughter is deeply upset and heartbroken that the trip she had been promised to the Paris International Cup may never happen without support.  'She placed her trust, excitement, and dreams in something that now feels like a cruel deception. The emotional damage caused by this situation goes far beyond the financial loss.' A third parent, who has lost around £600, told how the club seemed 'quite legit' at first, but then she felt Austin was continually asking her for money. 'He was taking monthly subs, then asking about the kit, admin fees, sign-up fees. It started to spiral.  'Obviously being associated with the FA, Austin had contact with all these big name clubs, such as Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City, Brighton, and so on, and he told us about all these tournaments and opportunities to go and play with them.' On one occasion, she paid up front for a tournament with girls from Manchester City's academy team - only to be told the match had been cancelled after she had set off from home. 'We got in the car and were two hours down the road when I got a message to say, "Man City have canceled it" and a screenshot supposedly from the club. Jay said they had lost their accreditation, something along those lines, and that they would definitely reschedule. 'When I spoke to him on the phone about what would happen if we can't make the other date, could we have the money back, he just said no it won't come to that - and sort of brushed it under the carpet.' The concerned mother said she believed Austin had taken advantage of the 'gaps' that exist around girls' football as the sport gains popularity. 'He and others like him are exploiting girls' grassroots football, because the infrastructure just isn't there for them as it for boys, and that is the wider problem. 'There are opportunities for girls, but the academies and emerging talent centres are still funded by parents. 'This guy has basically stolen money given in good faith to get the girls the same opportunities the boys get for nothing. 'Unless the FA and clubs step in and provide guidance, there's nothing to stop anyone from doing this again.' Daily Mail contacted Austin previously and prior to his arrest to put the allegations to him.  He said all funds had gone through a business account and not to him personally, and the issue was a civil matter.  Austin added it was 'not true' he had taken payments for the Paris tournament and failed to book a place for the team, and said the number of parents making allegations had been 'exaggerated'.  He said that as a 'gesture of goodwill' he had paid 'a significant four-figure sum' to parents claiming money back - although this has since been disputed by them. 'These are all false allegations,' he added. A spokesperson for the FA said previously: 'We take all allegations of potential misconduct very seriously and we will always take steps to report cases to the relevant authorities, including the police, where appropriate.  'We will also take steps, under our jurisdiction, to investigate possible breaches of our disciplinary rules, including when a team plays matches whilst under suspension.  'We are not in a position to comment on individual cases if they remain active.' A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson told Daily Mail: 'Following an investigation by our Volume Fraud Team, a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation. He has been bailed pending further investigation. 'We are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry and believe that there may be more victims out there who are as of yet unknown to us. 'We are appealing for those who may have been affected – as well as anyone who may have more information – to please come forward and assist our investigation.' Anyone with information can call Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 quoting reference number RF26040198587C or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.