Two university students from Greater Manchester have been jailed after fraudsters used them as 'money mules' to help launder more than £60,000 stolen from an elderly flood victim.
One of the pair, medical student, Bilal Mohammed Afzal from Junction Road, Bolton, has now wrecked his hopes of becoming a doctor by getting involved in the scam.
The fraud was committed in October 2016 when two conmen, who were never traced, duped a woman from Kendal, Cumbria, out of £64,500.
They called her land line and duped her into thinking her bank account was compromised.
They persuaded her to transfer cash - including £30,000 insurance money she had received after her home was damaged during Storm Desmond which caused chaos in the Lake District in 2015.
The money was switched to dummy accounts which she was assured were safe.
But Carlisle Crown Court heard the money was instead filtered down into accounts of so called 'money mules' who benefited financially.
Almost £10,000 of the victim's cash was moved swiftly and directly into the bank of Afzal, now aged 21.
After that money was quickly moved down the criminal chain and into the account of 28-year-old Open University student Mohammed Ismael Khan, with £6,500 being converted into euros at a foreign exchange desk in a Rochdale's ASDA store.
Two days later, around £5,000 was transferred into the student bank account of budding London actor Nikhil Yauvan Reedye, now aged 20.
This was also converted into euros, a process which killed the money trail 'stone dead'.
Only around £20,000 of the victim's money was recovered and returned to her.
The court was told that having lost her savings and children's legacy, the victim said: "I found that the trauma of this scam has left me feeling anxious, lacking in confidence and feeling very ashamed of my gullibility."
Prosecutor Sarah Griffin told the court: "The Crown submit each defendant played a significant role in this offending."
Afzal admitted two counts of transferring criminal property, and was jailed for 10 months.
His barrister, Ashraf Khan, had told how the fourth year university medicine student was 'traumatised' to learn of the victim impact.
"He found it very difficult to cope with the knowledge he was a very important part of a fraud which had a significant impact on someone very elderly and very vulnerable," said Mr Khan.
"He took part in something he didn't really appreciate was serious."
Afzal hadn't told university staff of his criminal conduct.
"He has, potentially, lost the opportunity to qualify as a doctor, which will have a significant impact on his future. For all of this he is extremely responsible and extremely sorry," said Mr Khan.
Of Afzal's family, Mr Khan added: "They are horrified with what he has done. To say they are disappointed is an understatement. He simply wants to deal with the consequences of what he has done and move on with the rest of his life."
Mohammed Ismael Khan, of Trippear Way, Heywood, Rochdale, admitted two charges of converting criminal property offences, and was jailed for 16 months.
The court heard he hadn't offended since serving a six-year jail sentence as a teenager for involvement in the importation of class A drugs.
"He is in the process of educating himself," said Richard Brigden, defending. "He has completed the first year of an Open University course. He would like to finish his education.
"He got himself into financial difficulties and needed some money. He accepts he made a bad decision."
Reedye, of Kennedy Close, Mitcham, Merton, was convicted of the same charges after a trial and was jailed for a year.
"You all had significant roles where offending was part of group activity," Judge James Adkin said. "The reality is without people like you three, fraudsters would struggle. This type of fraud is epidemic."
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