Fraudsters Target Trade Customers in £180,000 Money Laundering Scam
Serious Crime Unit Cracks Down
Detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate have launched a probe into a slick scam that saw nearly £180,000 laundered from fraud victims. Crooks posed as legitimate business reps, tricking trade customers into wiring cash to fake bank accounts.
10 Victims Across UK Caught Out
The scam ran between January 2018 and December 2019, with 10 victims identified nationwide. Authorities have now made arrests to clamp down on the con.
Three Charged, One Locked Up
- Limar Atiera, 27, Ramsgate
- Mayowa Christopher, 29, no fixed address
- Folaranmi Lawal, 29, Greenwich, London
All three face conspiracy to launder money charges. Lawal was also charged for possessing fraud tools, including a laptop and memory disk.
Magistrates’ Court Moves and Bail Update
At Thanet Magistrates’ Court on 28 September 2023, Atiera and Lawal were granted bail. Christopher was remanded in custody. The case moves to Canterbury Crown Court on Monday 30 October for the next hearing.
