The Manchester Crown Court has recently sentenced 33-year-old Azeem Mohammed to 6 years and 9 months in prison for scamming elderly customers. It is estimated that Mohammed scammed individuals out of £958,949 in total, causing extreme and long-term distress to his victims and their families.
He tricked his victims by pretending to work for their bank’s fraud team. He manipulated them into giving him their account details which he would then use to take control of their accounts and steal their money. He used a range of methods to access accounts, including using remote access tools to control the victim’s computers and change their details. He would even convince them to send photos of themselves with their id and share one-time passwords so he could pass security checks and access their accounts. With one victim, he opened accounts in their name to assist with laundering the money, before rinsing their savings and taking out over £60,000 worth of loans in their name.
The investigation into Mohammed’s scams was carried out by the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) which is a unique police unit sponsored by the specialist banking industry. Upon seizing him, they found several phones that we would use to commit the crimes and discovered that his flat had been set up as a base for committing large-scale fraud.
Detective Sergeant Ben Hurley in a statement said: “Through the collaboration of law enforcement and the banking industry, we were able to put a stop to Azeem Mohammed’s horrific crimes. We will continue our efforts to protect both industry and individuals from becoming victims of crime and bring criminals to justice.”
Through his deceit and manipulation, Azeem Mohammed preyed on elderly and vulnerable individuals for his scams, causing them unimaginable pain and distress. Thankfully now that he has been brought to justice, the victims can start to heal and take back their lives.
Protecting yourself from scams
Fraudsters are getting ever smarter with their methods, and anyone can fall victim to their schemes. That’s why it is more important now than ever to be vigilant when it comes to your banking and personal details. If in doubt, always contact your bank’s official helplines.
If you want to learn more about protecting yourself from scammers, you can read our full blog post here: https://www.fairforyou.co.uk/blog/fraud-is-on-the-rise-how-to-protect-yourself
If you would like more information and advice on fraud, or to report a scam, visit: