Other People's Money: The Rise and Fall of Britain's Boldest Credit Card Fraudster

by Neil Forsyth, Elliot Castro

Elliot Castro was a gifted outsider, a working-class kid with ambitions who wanted to live the high life but lacked the money to do so. Until, at the tender age of sixteen, he worked out how to use the credit card system to his advantage. Identifying the banks' security weaknesses, utilising his intelligence and charm, Elliot embarked on a massive spending spree. From London to New York, Ibiza to Beverly Hills, he lived the fantasy life, staying in famous hotels, flying first class, blowing a fortune on designer clothes. Time and time again, Elliot managed to wriggle free of the numerous authorities who were on his tail, while his life spiralled out of control. Meanwhile, from a police station at Heathrow, a detective was patiently tracking him down . . . With a likeable hero, filled with humour and as fast-paced as a thriller, Other People's Money is crime writing at its best.

'A fascinating and illuminating story' Irvine Welsh

'Exhilarating Brit variation on Catch Me if You Can, which never misses an opportunity to up the sweaty-palmed suspense.' "Arena"

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Biography

330 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2007

About the author

Neil Forsyth was born in Scotland in 1978 and grew up in the much admired city of Dundee. His writing career began in books (a largely forgotten form of communication made famous by Jesus and, separately, Agatha Christie). He has written two novels, Let Them Come Through and San Carlos while Other People’s Money, the true story of the Scottish credit card fraudster Elliot Castro was released in seven countries and is being developed as a feature film.

Forsyth first created Bob Servant in a trilogy of books: Delete This At Your Peril – The Bob Servant Emails, Bob Servant – Hero Of Dundee and Why Me? The Very Important Emails of Bob Servant. Forsyth wrote a BBC Radio 4 adaptation - The Bob Servant Emails followed by the television series Bob Servant Independent for BBC4.

Forsyth is currently developing sitcoms with the BBC and a show with ABC/DreamWorks for American TV. In 2012, he memorably came third in the Dundee Evening Telegraph’s Spirit of Dundee competition, losing out to television presenter Lorraine Kelly and the Verdant Works Jute Museum.

Reviews

[Jack Oughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Car crash literature - I could not stop reading it. An insane case study in how far we humans can go for validation from other people (and ourselves). Kind of tragic but also very compelling.

[Birdie Brietling · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very poorly written but and fake character. That Castro guy has never had a conviction in his life. I have looked up his name and have found no convictions on his name. The book spoke about him apparently buying a Rolex watch but the author didn’t even know what a Rolex was because the author said “Rolex Oyster President”. The real names are either supposed to be “Oyster Perpetual” or “Presidential”. Just from the awful spelling, I can tell that Castro hasn’t lived that life. Anyone who owns a Rolex will know the proper name.

They just used a fake character to help sell a fake story. The front cover has a slim man on the cover, but this Castro guy is chubby in his interviews. In his interviews, he doesn’t even speak like a sophisticated fraudster. He just talks like an average guy and gives short answers to the questions he was asked because he obviously can’t take his lies too far.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read.
I was impressed with his skills. Too bad he didn't use it for some business (or greater good).
But, then we wouldn't have this book and interesting story to read, right?

Writing style was impressive for a first time writer.
Or Neil wrote everything?
I'm still not sure about that part. But, I was enjoying most of the book.

Anyway, now I'm curios what's he been up to these days.
I hope we will read more about them, in much positive light this time.

[June Tilbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

The truth is often more entertaining than fiction and that is the case with the story of Elliot Castro. A rollercoaster of a life, more unbelievable with each chapter. An enthralling tale.

[Jim Cumming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

[Angelina Souren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read, but quite a sad story. A story about lack?
.

[Otter57 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's just a crazy fun story of a guy who rips off the credit card companies for massive amounts of money as he stays in five star hotels and one seven star hotel all around the world. Travelling first class on airplanes, buying Rolex watches - all on credit card details that he has defrauded from people. As fiction, it would be unbelievable, but the subject of the story is now serving time for his crimes, and although parts of it are surely embellished, it is a fascinating and highly entertaining story.

My favourite part was where he is imprisoned in Canada, yet manages to con American Express into paying for his hours-long phone call to his mother in the UK. For sheer audacity, this book is one of the finest I have read. It's no work of literature but highly enjoyable for that same audacity.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who used to be a credit card fraud investigator I found this book really interesting and I think everyone applying for a credit card should be made to read it. It would teach them not to be so giving with their personal details and credit card information.

[Mark Slee]

Picked this up in the Delhi airport for the trip back home. Decently entertaining read. Not particularly mindblowing or stunningly well written, but I enjoyed it.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. But not particularly well written. It was a fun read.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable and interesting read about the true story of Elliot Castro - Britain's version of "Catch Me If You Can" - a very entrepreneurial (albeit on the wrong side of the law) boy who spent from 16yrs to early 20s credit card scamming in the early 2000s and travelling the world whilst avoiding the law. An interesting insight into his story, which to be honest just sounds exhausting!