Walthamstow man who led gang to defraud victims of £378k after intercepting bank cards is jailed

Samuel Bonsu of Billet Road, Walthamstow and three others intercepted bank cards and used social engineering techniques to obtain the owners’ online and phone banking details as well as PIN codes.

The four men then used the stolen cards to make a series of cash withdrawals and purchases at high-end retailers across London, spending a whopping £377,943 between February 21 2015 and April 24 2016.

CCTV footage captured the gang making some of the purchases.

CCTV images showwing the gang buying items in high-end stores 

The fraud was spotted by internal investigators at Barclaycard and then referred to the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU), a specialist police unit sponsored by the finance industry which targets fraudsters.

Appearing at Wood Green Crown Court, Bonsu pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud by false representation and received a sentence of three years and three months imprisonment.

Isaac Nai, Junior Boakye-Yiadom and Bernard Kuffour also pleaded guilty and received suspended sentences and a total of 550 hours of community service.

Detective Constable Lauren Smith, who investigated the case for the DCPCU, said: “This organised criminal gang was using sophisticated techniques to commit card fraud on an industrial scale.

“Now they have been brought to justice thanks to close cooperation between law enforcement and the banking industry.

“This shows how through close cooperation, we are making sure fraudsters are caught and punished.”

All fraud victims were fully refunded.