Four jailed over £200,000 pensioner phone scam

Arris Qumar (left) was jailed for three years and eight months, with Awais Zaman sentenced to two years and 10 months

Fraudsters who scammed pensioners out of £200,000 by claiming to be police officers have been jailed.

The four contacted victims by telephone and told them their bank accounts had been targeted.

They then persuaded them to hand over cash, valuables and bank details by claiming it was vital evidence, with one pensioner from Darlington losing £127,000.

At Teesside Crown Court, they were jailed for between 16 and 44 months.

In all, six victims in Newcastle, South Tyneside, Durham, Darlington and West Yorkshire fell prey to the scam, which is known as courier fraud.

Mya Haskins (left) was sentenced to one year and 10 months in jail, with Adriana Andrade imprisoned for one year and four months

Adriana Andrade, 19, Norman Road, Rugby, Warwickshire, pleaded guilty in August to conspiring to commit fraud by false representation.

Arris Qumar, 26, of York Close, Coventry, Awais Zaman, 21, of Brooklyn Road, also Coventry, and Mya Haskins, 19, of Izod Road, Rugby, were convicted of the same offence in October following a trial.

All four were sentenced on Friday.

'Complex scam'

Qumar was given three years and eight months in jail, Zaman was sentenced to two years and 10 months, Haskins was handed one year and 10 months and Andrade got one year and four months.

Det Con Andy Thompson, of Cleveland Police, described it as a "particularly callous crime".

"Sadly, many people who find themselves caught up in a complex scam like courier fraud are often unaware they've been a victim until it is too late," he said.

"I encourage families to speak to their elderly relatives and educate them around potential scams and fraud and ask them if anyone has called them out of the blue, or if they have recently withdrawn money or handed over any valuables."