Bank workers 'fleeced £1.3million in fraud'

Wednesday, 10th January 2007, 07:34

A gang of bank insiders used customer details to siphon off more than £1.3 million in a sophisticated fraud.

Shana Campbell and Emmanuel Imbrah were alleged to be central to "a large scale conspiracy" to defraud dozens of innocent customers of their life savings at a number of high street banks.

Other members of the gang used the profits to fund a lavish lifestyle including a £87,000 Bentley car and a £37,000 luxury Rolex watch.

Southwark Crown Court heard the pair would steal customers identities and then open new accounts in new names.

Money from this newly created account would then be laundered to a number of car dealerships.

A total of 26 wealthy people were fleeced - including one deceased lady - and the scam netted more than £1.3 million, the jury heard.

Prosecutor Francis Sheridan told the eight women and four man jury: "This case involves the theft of funds from various customers of Barclays, HSBC and Halifax banks by the use of identity theft and the dishonest manipulation of the accounts belonging to true customers of the banks.

"Once in control of the accounts, the defendants, and other persons unknown, embarked upon a highly organised and systematic operation to siphon the funds out of the legitimate accounts into new accounts.

"They had been set up by using either telephone banking and / or the internet.

"To avoid detection the new accounts were set up in the name of the genuine account holders. From there the monies were transferred from the original accounts into these new accounts and then onto 'friendly' third party accounts.

"Once in the third party accounts these third parties would assist in the withdrawal of the money without the knowledge of either the original account holder and/or the bank.

"This is a large scale conspiracy to defraud the banks and their customers and the laundering thereafter of the stolen monies involving the use of confidential customer information and a large network of people."

Six people are currently on trial for varying allegations of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering, although many more are thought to be involved.

Campbell, 23, and Imbrah, 21, had access to customer's private information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, account details and balances and specimen signatures.

Campbell was employed as a customer advisor by the Halifax Bank at their Bexleyheath branch. She allegedly accessed 22 accounts and 13 of them suffered losses totalling £785,712.

Imbrah, who was a teenager at the time, was employed at the HSBC Frimley district service centre in Surrey. He allegedly accessed 24 accounts and 13 of them suffered losses totalling £549,726.

Referring to Campbell, Mr Sheridan said: "She is central to the conspiracy and breached the trust placed in her by her employers and the customers.

"Her activities are by no means limited to a one off accessing, on the contrary, her role was dishonest, systematic and sustained."

He added that Imbrah was "used for the fraud in much of the same way".

Central to the scam was 27-year-old Oluwasegun Adekunle who has admitted his role.

Despite pretending to be a poor student, Adekunle of St Georges Wharf, London, drove a Bentley Continental GT and owned a number of expensive watches.

Fellow defendants Dominic Almond, 39, and Neil Kynoch, 38, both own car dealerships which the prosecution allege were used to launder money.

Mr Sheridan added: "Each of these defendants, through their respective companies, received monies that originated from compromised accounts which they then transferred onwards.

"They were actively involved in the laundering of stolen monies."

The jury heard that two other car dealers - Brett Hilton and Wesley Rossiter - had already admitted being part of the scam.

Defendant Steven Fabian, 44, was the alleged recipient of "the monies laundered by the four car dealers".

The final defendants, Ayodeyi Osibogun, 30, is alleged to have been involved in the purchase of the Bentley and another motor for Adekunle with the compromised money.

Victims routinely lost £10,000s and Mr Sheridan added: "Because of the methods employed by the conspirators, the genuine customers were often not aware of the theft and fraud until a random check on their accounts revealed a swift depreciation of their balances."

Recently deceased Irene Allen lost £114,664 from her account while John and Ruth Driver lost £158,700.

Campbell of Finland Road, Brockley; Imbrah of Basingstoke Road, Reading; and Fabian of Opal Street, Kennington; all denied conspiracy to defraud between October 1 2004 and October 19, 2005.

Almond of Seaport Road, Slough; Kynoch of Bell Road, Windsor; Osibogun of Brixton Hill, Brixton; and Fabian deny conspiracy to transfer criminal property between the same dates.

The trial, expected to last four weeks, continues

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