£430k Telecom Scam Busted: Fraudsters Landed Behind Bars
A cunning gang raked in a whopping £430,000 by scamming top telecom giants Vodafone, EE, O2, and Carphone Warehouse. Now, the fraudsters have been slammed with a combined 11 years behind bars.
How They Pulled It Off
The crooks swiped personal info from genuine mobile customers. Using fake IDs and forged documents, they hoodwinked stores into handing over pricey gear like Apple Watches and iPads on new contracts.
The scam ran from April 2019 to March 2020. The gang struck multiple phone shops, pretending to be legitimate customers to nab high-end devices.
Gang Members Caught and Sentenced
Men from gravesend/" title="Gravesend" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Gravesend and Dartford faced prison time, while a woman from Southwark escaped with a suspended sentence. The crime unraveled after a victim noticed several unauthorised accounts opened in just five days.
- Oluwadamilola Bolaji, 32, Gravesend – Pleaded guilty to £145,000 fraud, sentenced to 6 years 3 months.
- Taofeeq Balogun, 30, No fixed address – Involved in £25,000 scam, jailed for 3 years.
- Taiwo Agusto, 43, Dartford – £3,000 fraud, sentenced to 1 year 9 months.
- Carriba Johnson, 31, Southwark – £2,500 fraud, given a 24-month suspended sentence.
Police Crackdown
The Isle of Wight Constabulary" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary led the probe. During raids, officers uncovered fake passports, bank cards, stolen driving licences, and forged documents.
“This investigation was thorough, and we hope these sentences deter anyone thinking of committing fraud. We’re committed to stamping out financial crime,” said DC Owain Davies of the Hampshire Police Economic Crime Team.
