West London men posed as police officers and conned elderly people out of £120,000
A group of London men posed as police officers in order to con elderly people out of tens of thousands of pounds. Amadeep Sokhal, 36, Kulwinder Singh, 25, and Mehakdeep Thind, 33, carried out a complex scam in order to steal £120,000 from “elderly and vulnerable victims” throughout the North East and West Yorkshire.
The three men carried out what is known as “courier fraud” on their victims in September 2020, the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) has revealed. The complex scam involves con-artists making telephone calls to victims, posing as police officers, bank staff and other figures of authority, and convincing them their bank accounts have been scammed.
The criminals then ask their victims to help investigate by supplying “vital evidence” in the form of cash, valuables and bank details. This information is then used to steal high sums of money from vulnerable victims – including asking them to send valuables and cash through the post.
Shortly after carrying out the massive job, all three men were arrested and charged. Thind pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. However, his associates Sokhal and Singh underwent a five-week trial after denying the charges put before them. The duo was convicted at Newcastle Crown Court in December last year. Sokhal was convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering and Singh was convicted of money laundering.
All three men were eventually sentenced on Friday (March 3). Thind, of no fixed abode in the London area, was sentenced to five years and seven months in prison, for conspiracy to commit fraud, money laundering and possession of false ID.
Sokhal, of Allenby Road, Southall, London, was sentenced to four years and six months for conspiracy to commit fraud, money laundering and possession of false ID.
NEROCU Detective Constable Andy Smith, officer in the case, said: “This is a callous crime type in which ruthless criminals target the most vulnerable members of our communities. I wish to commend the bravery of the victims, who supported this case and ensured that justice prevailed.
“As always we urge anyone who is concerned that they have been a victim of crime to get in touch and always speak to someone you trust before giving anyone money or your personal information. Police officers or your bank will never ask you to hand over money, transfer funds, or send cash and valuables via post. If you receive a call like this, do not interact – hang up and report it immediately.”
NEROCU Detective Inspector Shaun Fordy said: “We have seen some excellent results recently, with a high number of fraudsters and organised criminals being convicted for their illegal activity. Our work in detecting and preventing fraud will continue and we promise our efforts will not slow down.
“Along with our partners, we will continue to relentlessly pursue those who seek to scam vulnerable and unsuspecting people under the banner of Operation Sentinel – our region-wide initiative to tackle serious and organised crime in all its forms.”
If you think you might have been a victim of courier fraud, please contact police via 101, or Action Fraud immediately by calling 0300 123 2040. You can also report it online at the Action Fraud website.
