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| Gang used stolen credit cards to defraud auction houses, court told | Gang used stolen credit cards to defraud auction houses, court told |
| (3 months later) | |
| Fraudsters used stolen credit card details to obtain expensive jewellery and watches from auction houses including Bonhams and Christie's, a court has heard. | Fraudsters used stolen credit card details to obtain expensive jewellery and watches from auction houses including Bonhams and Christie's, a court has heard. |
| Credit card details stolen from people in Canada and the US were used by members of the four-strong gang who then registered with auction houses as telephone bidders, the prosecutor, Robin Shellard, told Isleworth crown court on Tuesday. | Credit card details stolen from people in Canada and the US were used by members of the four-strong gang who then registered with auction houses as telephone bidders, the prosecutor, Robin Shellard, told Isleworth crown court on Tuesday. |
| Two of the four, Simohamed Rahmoun, 31, and Farouk Dougui, 40, would bid for expensive items they knew they would be able to sell on easily, it was claimed. A third member, Jabey Bathurst, 24, would collect the items they had secured, while Barbara Goossens, who ran a jewellery shop, had an "extensive knowledge" of fine jewellery and expensive watches and could spot which items would sell on well. | Two of the four, Simohamed Rahmoun, 31, and Farouk Dougui, 40, would bid for expensive items they knew they would be able to sell on easily, it was claimed. A third member, Jabey Bathurst, 24, would collect the items they had secured, while Barbara Goossens, who ran a jewellery shop, had an "extensive knowledge" of fine jewellery and expensive watches and could spot which items would sell on well. |
| Shellard told the court in west London that it was a "remarkably easy" fraud. | Shellard told the court in west London that it was a "remarkably easy" fraud. |
| "This is a case about a very modern way of stealing because it requires nothing more than the details of credit cards and often a convincing manner," he said. | "This is a case about a very modern way of stealing because it requires nothing more than the details of credit cards and often a convincing manner," he said. |
| "The victims in this case are some of the country's best known auction houses, provincial auction houses and also some little known jewellery shops. But the defendants were not overly concerned who they targeted as long as they had items of high value they could easily dispose of without getting caught." | "The victims in this case are some of the country's best known auction houses, provincial auction houses and also some little known jewellery shops. But the defendants were not overly concerned who they targeted as long as they had items of high value they could easily dispose of without getting caught." |
| He added: "How the fraud was perpetrated was, in fact, the prosecution say, remarkably easy as long as you had the right connections to obtain the credit card details in the first place and the knowledge of how the system worked and the gall to carry out the deceptions." | He added: "How the fraud was perpetrated was, in fact, the prosecution say, remarkably easy as long as you had the right connections to obtain the credit card details in the first place and the knowledge of how the system worked and the gall to carry out the deceptions." |
| Shellard told the court that "not one" piece of jewellery had been recovered. "What happened to those watches and jewels … and other items you are going to hear about we can only surmise about." | Shellard told the court that "not one" piece of jewellery had been recovered. "What happened to those watches and jewels … and other items you are going to hear about we can only surmise about." |
| Rahmoun, of Chiswick, west London; Goossens, of central London; Dougui, of south-east London; and Bathurst, of Ruislip, Middlesex, all deny conspiring to defraud auction houses and jewellery shops between 30 April and 5 November 2010. | Rahmoun, of Chiswick, west London; Goossens, of central London; Dougui, of south-east London; and Bathurst, of Ruislip, Middlesex, all deny conspiring to defraud auction houses and jewellery shops between 30 April and 5 November 2010. |
| Rahmoun, Dougui and Bathurst further deny a charge of conspiracy to defraud car part suppliers and other shops between the same dates. | Rahmoun, Dougui and Bathurst further deny a charge of conspiracy to defraud car part suppliers and other shops between the same dates. |
| Rahmoun also denies three charges relating to the alleged fraudulent use of credit cards to buy a motorbike, motorbike insurance and a BMW car in May 2011. | Rahmoun also denies three charges relating to the alleged fraudulent use of credit cards to buy a motorbike, motorbike insurance and a BMW car in May 2011. |
| The trial, which is expected to last five weeks, continues. | The trial, which is expected to last five weeks, continues. |
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