Parasites prey on vulnerable elderly
a Here we go again, yet another bunch of thieving cowards who stole the life-savings of elderly victims.
This gang posed as police officers, phoning vulnerable targets and spinning a line about fraudulent activity on their bank accounts.
Some of the victims were persuaded to withdraw their cash savings and hand it to supposed police couriers – which is why this scam is sometimes called courier fraud.
On other occasions the victims were told to transfer their savings into accounts held by money mules controlled by the crooks.
In total they raked in £215,000, and were stopped while trying to steal a further £122,000.
Hertfordshire Police made a series of arrests in November 2016, and now the culprits have been jailed after a five-week trial at St Albans crown court.
Masum Uddin, 23, got seven years. Mohammed Abdulahi, 22, got six years and six months. Mohammed Abdul Khaled, 24, got four years and three months.
Sheikh Hussain and Nahid Uddin, both 24, got four years. Mushahid Miah, 24, got two years.
They were all sentenced for conspiracy to commit fraud.
Dedar Ali, 24, Abdalla Abdalla, 27, and Abdul Khan, 26, got suspended jail sentences for money laundering.
The gang came from London apart from Khan who lives in Luton, Beds.
It’s worth contrasting their ages with those of the people they fleeced.
Of the 34 victims, 26 of them were over the age of 80. The oldest person they targeted was 94. Detective Constable Julian Griffiths, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit said: “These men callously targeted elderly and vulnerable victims and defrauded them out of their life savings.
“I am pleased that they are now behind bars and I hope it brings some small comfort to the victims and their families who have been left devastated by the actions of these men.”
She emphasised that the police will never ask anyone for their PIN or tell them to withdraw cash and hand it to a courier.