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Police swoop on gang in £1m car adverts fraud
Police staged dawn raids on homes across London today against a gang that has allegedly defrauded hundreds of people out of more than £1 million through fake online car adverts.
Officers described a house in Greenwich as an “ID factory” for creating fake documents to open bank accounts and police found seven mobile phones, two laptops and memory sticks on a dining-room table.
A top-of-the-range BMW parked outside was seized as an alleged proceed of crime and around £30,000 in cash was found in a nearby property.
A 30-year-old man was arrested and was being questioned on suspicion of fraud and money-laundering offences. A woman, 63, was arrested by UK Border Agency staff on suspicion of being in possession of fraudulent immigration documents.
The gang is alleged to have offered cheap cars for sale on motoring and auction websites to lure unsuspecting buyers before disappearing with their money.
The suspected scam is believed to have attracted hundreds of “average Londoners” browsing for vehicles priced between £5,000 and £8,000.
If a would-be buyer expresses an interest in a car, they are sent an email purporting to be from the website offering to hold payment for the vehicle in safekeeping until after a test-drive, saving the buyer the risk of having to pay in cash.
However, the transfers were made directly into the fraudsters’ bank accounts and police said that within 24 hours of the money being transferred it was withdrawn from cash machines or transferred out of Britain.
Police said that “mules” were paid to con bank branch staff by opening accounts using fake documents.
Operation Subidor was carried out by City of London, Met and British Transport Police officers working as part of the new London Regional Fraud Team. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fyfe, head of the team, said “organised crime gangs” were “increasingly targeting people who are prepared to make large purchases online”.
He added: “I would expect internet-related investigations and arrests to be a major focus for us over the coming months, with many more early morning visits to the homes of key suspects.
“I want people to be extremely cautious online and check what sort of payment or banking facility they enter into as you don’t know who you are dealing with until you have met them in person.”
Police staged dawn raids on homes across London today against a gang that has allegedly defrauded hundreds of people out of more than £1 million through fake online car adverts.
Officers described a house in Greenwich as an “ID factory” for creating fake documents to open bank accounts and police found seven mobile phones, two laptops and memory sticks on a dining-room table.
A top-of-the-range BMW parked outside was seized as an alleged proceed of crime and around £30,000 in cash was found in a nearby property.
A 30-year-old man was arrested and was being questioned on suspicion of fraud and money-laundering offences. A woman, 63, was arrested by UK Border Agency staff on suspicion of being in possession of fraudulent immigration documents.
The gang is alleged to have offered cheap cars for sale on motoring and auction websites to lure unsuspecting buyers before disappearing with their money.
The suspected scam is believed to have attracted hundreds of “average Londoners” browsing for vehicles priced between £5,000 and £8,000.
If a would-be buyer expresses an interest in a car, they are sent an email purporting to be from the website offering to hold payment for the vehicle in safekeeping until after a test-drive, saving the buyer the risk of having to pay in cash.
However, the transfers were made directly into the fraudsters’ bank accounts and police said that within 24 hours of the money being transferred it was withdrawn from cash machines or transferred out of Britain.
Police said that “mules” were paid to con bank branch staff by opening accounts using fake documents.
Operation Subidor was carried out by City of London, Met and British Transport Police officers working as part of the new London Regional Fraud Team. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fyfe, head of the team, said “organised crime gangs” were “increasingly targeting people who are prepared to make large purchases online”.
He added: “I would expect internet-related investigations and arrests to be a major focus for us over the coming months, with many more early morning visits to the homes of key suspects.
“I want people to be extremely cautious online and check what sort of payment or banking facility they enter into as you don’t know who you are dealing with until you have met them in person.”
