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| Gang guilty over £600,000 phone scam against pensioners | Gang guilty over £600,000 phone scam against pensioners |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Four men have been convicted over a phone scam carried out across the south of England that defrauded 18 pensioners out of a total of £600,000. | Four men have been convicted over a phone scam carried out across the south of England that defrauded 18 pensioners out of a total of £600,000. |
| Mohamed Dahir, 23, Sakaria Aden, 22, and Yasser Abukar, 24, were found guilty of conspiring to commit fraud. | Mohamed Dahir, 23, Sakaria Aden, 22, and Yasser Abukar, 24, were found guilty of conspiring to commit fraud. |
| Mohammed Sharif Abokar, 28, was convicted at the Old Bailey of converting criminal property. | Mohammed Sharif Abokar, 28, was convicted at the Old Bailey of converting criminal property. |
| The so-called "vishing" scam - or voice phishing - involved gang members posing on the phone as police officers. | The so-called "vishing" scam - or voice phishing - involved gang members posing on the phone as police officers. |
| A fifth man, Ibrahim Farah, 23, was acquitted of conspiring to commit fraud. | A fifth man, Ibrahim Farah, 23, was acquitted of conspiring to commit fraud. |
| The Metropolitan Police said the fraud was uncovered after a separate terrorist investigation found payments in a bank account used by someone who later travelled to Syria. | The Metropolitan Police said the fraud was uncovered after a separate terrorist investigation found payments in a bank account used by someone who later travelled to Syria. |
| Corbyn letter | |
| The trial heard how the victims - aged in their 70s, 80s and 90s and from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Bedfordshire, London and Kent - were phoned by men posing as police officers supposedly investigating a fraud at the person's bank. | The trial heard how the victims - aged in their 70s, 80s and 90s and from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Bedfordshire, London and Kent - were phoned by men posing as police officers supposedly investigating a fraud at the person's bank. |
| They were advised to transfer money or hand it over for "safekeeping". | They were advised to transfer money or hand it over for "safekeeping". |
| The scam had been carried out between May 2014 and May 2015. | The scam had been carried out between May 2014 and May 2015. |
| Five other gang members had already pleaded guilty before the trial started. | Five other gang members had already pleaded guilty before the trial started. |
| Dahir's defence barrister Patrick Harte told the court his client had a letter from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn "setting out his roots in the area" of Islington. | |
| The letter had been sent as part of Dahir's earlier bail application, Mr Harte told the press. | |
| Judge Anuja Dhir QC remanded all four convicted men in custody ahead of sentencing on a date to be fixed in the new year. | |
| 'Beyond belief' | |
| Patricia Burnham, 73, handed over £135,000 before she realised she had been duped. | Patricia Burnham, 73, handed over £135,000 before she realised she had been duped. |
| She told the BBC: "I said to my husband, 'What have I done?' | She told the BBC: "I said to my husband, 'What have I done?' |
| "I'd better ring fraud line and check, which I did and the person who answered said, 'Yes, ma'am, it's a scam.' | "I'd better ring fraud line and check, which I did and the person who answered said, 'Yes, ma'am, it's a scam.' |
| "I just felt devastated, stupid, embarrassed, you know, how could I have been so taken in?" | "I just felt devastated, stupid, embarrassed, you know, how could I have been so taken in?" |
| Commander Richard Walton, of Scotland Yard, said: "These criminals were targeting individuals who were vulnerable and elderly - in their 70s, 80s and 90s - you know, to be honest, the targeting of individuals like that in our society like that is frankly beyond belief." | Commander Richard Walton, of Scotland Yard, said: "These criminals were targeting individuals who were vulnerable and elderly - in their 70s, 80s and 90s - you know, to be honest, the targeting of individuals like that in our society like that is frankly beyond belief." |
| BBC home affairs correspondent June Kelly said it was a "very typical scam". | BBC home affairs correspondent June Kelly said it was a "very typical scam". |
| "What happens is the scammer phones you, they said to the pensioners in this case, 'Call 999 or phone the fraud department of your bank.' | "What happens is the scammer phones you, they said to the pensioners in this case, 'Call 999 or phone the fraud department of your bank.' |
| "But what has happened is the pensioner has put her or his phone down but the scammer has kept the line open and therefore when the pensioner thinks they are phoning the police in fact they are speaking to the criminals." | "But what has happened is the pensioner has put her or his phone down but the scammer has kept the line open and therefore when the pensioner thinks they are phoning the police in fact they are speaking to the criminals." |