Eleven people are charged with fraud

Eleven people have been charged with fraud after pensioners across Britain were tricked into handing over £225,000 by phone scammers claiming to be police.

The suspects allegedly told victims they were investigating fraudulent activity on their bank accounts before instructing them to withdraw large amounts of money and hand it over to a courier.

They allegedly stole £225,911 and failed to snatch a further £122,445.

Mohamed Abdulahi, 21, Sheikh Hussain, 23, Nahid Uddin, 23, Masum Uddin, 22, Nushad Miah, 23, Mohammed Abdul Khaled, 23, all from Camden, London were charged with conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Maujasim Rasool, 22, from Luton, Mushahid Miah, 23, from Camden, Abdalla Abdalla, 26 from Islington, London, Abdul Khan, 25, from Luton, and Dedar Ali, 23, from Camden, were charged with conspiracy to defraud.

All have been released on bail ahead of a hearing at West Hertfordshire Magistrates’ Court on October 10.

The alleged scams took place mainly in Hertfordshire and London but there were also cases in Surrey, Kent, Bedfordshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and the Thames Valley area, police said.

Detective Sergeant Jon Leak, from Operation Manhunt, said: ‘We will continue to do all we can to track down those suspected of being involved in courier fraud.

‘We have done a lot of work to raise awareness of these scams but we need people to continue spreading the word to elderly friends, relatives and neighbours to help prevent more people falling victim to them.

‘Please remember that police and banks would never ask for your PIN over the phone and would never ask you to withdraw cash and hand it to a courier.

‘If you receive a call you are suspicious of, please hang up and alert the police. Remember to wait at least five minutes, or use a mobile phone to ensure you aren’t reconnected to the offender.’