A gang of criminals 'lived the lives of lavish footballers' after conning their victims out of almost half a million pounds by using a dangerous phone fraud tactic.
Sami Ebraheem and Desmond Amoako made hundreds of fraudulent transactions between 20 October 2017 and 25 October 2018, stealing a total of £457,000 from bank accounts.
The fraudsters first harvested bank details from customers using ‘phishing’ emails or ‘smishing’ text messages, before using ‘sim swaps’ to complete bank transfers and purchases on their accounts.
This is when the fraudster pretends to be a customer of a mobile operator - either online or in person - to try and convince the phone company that they, as the customer, need a replacement Sim for their phone.
Once in, they then seize control of the customer's mobile phone number, allowing them access to their calls and texts and even online banking details.
A third defendant, Ponle Odusina, was also charged for facilitating fraud, reportedly receiving £100 for each sim card swap he completed.
Analysis of his phone revealed he was sent details of customers by Amoako that he used to order replacement sim cards, which he would then deliver to the fraudsters.
The fraud was spotted by Metro Bank and TSB and referred to the Action Fraud unit Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) which then investigated the case. All victims were fully refunded by their banks.
Amoako was then arrested at a Metro Bank branch in Romford on 22 October 2018 and found with a mobile phone that had been used to conduct over 100 sim swaps.
A large number of pre-paid gift cards were also found in his flat, with a total value of £19,000.
Subsequent analysis revealed that Amoako had accessed over 1,500 customers’ accounts, by tricking people into giving away their personal details through phishing emails and text messages impersonating a bank.
CCTV footage subsequently showed him spending some of the stolen funds at high-end fashion stores including Gucci, Christian Louboutin and Louis Vuitton, as well as expensive restaurants across West London.
Items seized at his flat that had been purchased through the proceeds of fraud, included dozens of pairs of designer shoes.
He also rented a luxury flat in London and leased several expensive cars including a Range Rover, a Porsche and a Bentley.
Ebraheem was arrested at his property on 30 October 2018, where mobile phones and laptops were seized containing customers’ personal and financial details.
In total, the account details recovered through the operation led to an estimated £27million of fraud being disrupted and prevented.
Detective Constable Andrew Hammond, who investigated the case for the DCPCU, said: "This was a highly sophisticated scam, with these criminals using mobile “sim swaps” to commit almost half a million pounds worth of fraud.
“Amaoko was living a lavish lifestyle similar to a premier league footballer off the proceeds of these crimes.
“Working closely in partnership with the banks and phone companies, we were able to track both fraudsters down and bring them to justice.
“It’s important that people are vigilant against the growing threat of sim swap scams. If you unexpectedly lose phone signal in a location where it’s normally good, report it to your bank and network provider immediately.”
Mark Tingey, head of financial crime operations at Metro Bank said: "We work closely with stakeholders across the industry including other banks, network operators and law enforcement agencies to help prevent and protect customers from these crimes. Our team has worked diligently over many months to support this investigation and bring these criminals to justice."
Ashley Hart, Head of Fraud at TSB, said: "TSB supports law enforcement across the UK in hunting down every criminal that attempts to defraud our customers. We cooperate fully with each investigation and work hard alongside the police to bring fraudsters to justice."
