Eamonn Holmes details his experience of identity theft trends now
Eamonn Holmes opened up about being a victim of identity theft on Monday morning, revealing a fraudster impersonated him and stayed in a luxury hotel for two weeks at his expense.
The presenter, 63, was speaking about the experience on GB News as he returned to breakfast television screens following back surgery and suffering an injury to his shoulder.
He revealed the con artist lived at the Europa Hotel in Belfast for two weeks with a credit card which had Eamonn's name on, stealing money from his bank account and buying building materials including slabs and concrete.
Con artist: Eamonn Holmes has opened up about being a victim of identity theft, revealing that a fraudster impersonated him and stayed in a luxury hotel for two weeks at his expense
Eamonn described the judge who dealt with his case as 'out of touch', as he told him the incident was 'victimless' and did not send the perpetrator to prison.
He revealed that the judge had told the presenter to meet up with the con artist and reconcile with him.
Eamonn said of the judge: 'I basically told him where to stick it. It isn't a victimless crime.
'You begin to suspect people around you, people who work for you, all sorts of things. So you suspect lots of things and there's the stress about it.
Scam: He revealed that the con artist lived at the Europa Hotel in Belfast for two weeks with a credit card which had Eamonn's name on
'I was very lucky in the fact that the bank reimbursed me but the idea that this is victimless is wrong.'
Eamonn said: 'In Belfast, there may only be one Eamonn Holmes, yet a guy was able to go and live in a hotel using my name for two solid weeks at the top hotel in Belfast.'
The presenter added: 'No one thought of saying, "You're not as handsome as Eamonn Holmes, you just couldn't be Eamonn Holmes" but he went and he lived in a central Belfast hotel for two weeks.'
The perpetrator, John Cartmill, 32, admitted in 2014 to running up thousands of pounds on Eamonn's card including £17,000 of building materials.
Incident: Eamonn described the judge who dealt with his case as 'out of touch', as he told him the incident was 'victimless' and did not send the perpetrator to prison
Also during Eamonn's long-awaited return to GB News, he showed off a lunchbox prepared by wife Ruth Langsford.
Talking about his comeback he
