Lloyds staff ‘helped gang steal millions’

LLOYDS Bank workers helped fraudsters steal millions of pounds using a string of impersonators, a court heard.

Insiders scoured the computer system for rarely accessed accounts holding large sums of money before passing the details to criminals.

They also ordered new bank cards so that imposters could pose as the customers and set up transfers of hundreds of thousands of pounds at a time.

The money was then laundered through a series of bogus companies before being moved offshore to prevent it being recovered, it is claimed. One victim lost more than £750,000 after another man used a fake driving licence in the account holder’s name to set up two transfers over three days.

A customer with £3million in the bank only escaped becoming a victim when another member of staff became suspicious and rang him up to check.

Bank workers Courtney Ayinbode, 29, Tajinder Galsinh, 35, Molly Jones, 24, and Benjamin Omoregie, 23, were all allegedly involved in the ‘sophisticated’ scam. Kushveer Raulia, 25, is said to have operated a network of bogus companies to launder the proceeds, while Parvez Hussain, 50, allegedly laundered cash.

The first victim lost £750,975 in three days after his account was accessed by Ayinbode and Omoregie at the Balham and Streatham branches of Lloyds TSB in July 2013.

Ayinbode, of South Norwood, London, denies conspiracy to defraud. Hussain, of Romford, London, denies converting criminal property. Jones, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, and Omoregie, of no fixed address, admit involvement.

Galsinh, of Hayes, west London, is not before the court. The trial continues.