Phone conmen posing as police fleeced the elderly of life-savings
A GANG fleeced 16 “publicspirited” pensioners of their life savings by impersonating police and bank officials in a phone scam, a court has heard.
One of the victims had £12,000 taken from a savings account.
They were duped when one of the gang called on a mobile phone to tell them their account was being investigated.
They would then be asked to hang up and call the number on the back of their bank card.
The victim would think they were then speaking to their bank but the fraudster had remained on the line by not hanging up.
The victim was then told that the call was being transferred to the police and would be advised to withdraw funds. A “police courier” would then be sent to their house to collect the cash.
Eight men have already pleaded guilty to defrauding members of Abu Kaher appearing at Hull Crown Court where he denies a charge of defrauding members of the public in a telephone scam the public but alleged co-conspirators Abu Kaher and Syed Rashid, both 25, deny the charge.
The gang set up a “base of operation” at Pickering Hotel in Hull in June 2015 while others made phone calls from London.
Nicholas De La Poer, prosecuting, told Hull Crown Court this week: “They were intent on defrauding vulnerable people in Hull of their savings.” He said the scam, which led Humberside Police to launch Operation Rumble, “exploited the telephone system” which kept calls “live” when fraudsters did not hang up.
He added: “In this way the victim thinks they have made a careful check, but in fact they have played into scammers’ hands.
“The reason the fraud works is because those targeted are from a public-spirited generation.”
“Automatic number plate recognition” cameras show that Kaher, of London, travelled to Hull with others while phone records allegedly show Rashid, of Middlesex, was in regular contact with those who pleaded guilty.
The men who have admitted being part of the conspiracy are Tanvir Ahmed, 26, of Birmingham, and Mohammed Miah, 25, Ali Nuruddin, 25, Junid Patwary, 24, Mizan Ali, 21, Amanul Islam, 25, Ruhin Khan, 24, and Abdul Ali, 25, all of London.
The trial continues.