JAILED: Family who fiddled elderly out of £1m in calls con
A FAMILY of “ferociously greedy” fraudsters who tricked pensioners out of £1.3million in a phone scam has been jailed for a total of 23 years.
Atif Mohammed got six years after police found £100,000 in family mansion
The Mohammed clan rang people and said they were victims of a fraud. They invited their prey to hang up and redial their own bank’s fraud team.
But they stayed on the line, intercepted the return call and either put on a fake voice or handed the phone to another family member to pose as a legitimate bank official.
At least 42 elderly and vulnerable people from across the UK were encouraged to transfer savings – up to £129,000 in one case – into a different account, which the gang accessed.
One victim, from Salisbury, Wilts, was conned out of £84,000 on April Fool’s Day, a court heard.
The fraudsters blew money on designer bags, watches, a house in Dubai and cars including a Lamborghini and Ferrari.
The Mohammeds, originally from Pakistan, called thousands of people. Police who raided their six-bed mansion found 41 phones, 57 sim cards and phone numbers scrawled on a wall.
The fraudsters blew money on designer bags, watches, a house in Dubai and cars
Most victims will not be refunded because they willingly transferred the money – so banks would not pay up. Six members of the family, of Crosshill, Glasgow, were jailed this week.
Judge Barry Cotter QC said at Bristol Crown Court: “It was a high life lived on the hard-earned money of others, the sweat and toil of other people, by you, the most dishonest of people.
“The way in which the money was spent will make it harder for victims to swallow. You frittered money away.”
Atif's brother Saif and cousin Shabeer Ahmed were also jailed
He said the family was “rife with criminality, united by ferocious greed”.
Gang leader Atif Mohammed, 25, was jailed for six years, brother Saif, 21, got a year, their mother Shameem, 44, got two years and three cousins got up to five years and 10 months.
They were convicted of offences including conspiracy to commit fraud, money laundering and possessing criminal property.
Police found £100,000 in Shameem’s bedroom, along with DKNY handbags and receipts for gold.