People from Leytonstone and Waltham Abbey are among ten jailed following a national £290,000 bank fraud which targeted 200 victims.
On February 23, ten people were sentenced after they previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation at Ipswich Crown Court. These included Hamza Ahmed, 36, who was jailed for 12 months.
Officers from the Suffolk and Norfolk Cyber and Serious Crime Department launched ‘Operation Duston’ into the organised crime group which targeted affluent apartment blocks across the UK, from Liverpool in Tunbridge Wells.
Access to the blocks was obtained by members of the group who rented apartments by using stolen identities and by producing false employment references.
At least two bogus companies were set up to provide these references and landline numbers were also purchased via the internet to give these companies the appearance of legitimacy. They then targeted the other tenants' post within communal areas of the apartment blocks.
Bank and credit card statements were stolen and bank staff working for the crime group then provided confidential information about the victims’ bank accounts which enabled replacement bank cards and PINS to be ordered.
These replacement cards and PINs were intercepted and used to withdraw cash, purchase foreign currency or purchase expensive goods.
The victims were totally unaware of this activity on their bank accounts and it is only when they were unable to access funds that the fraud was discovered.
Police identified 200 victims in 21 separate apartment blocks who had private post stolen from their mailboxes and the fraud added up to over £290,000.
