Estate Agents and Card Fraud

According to a recent news release a young gentleman who went into an estate office in Biggleswade had fraud in mind. This person went into the office acting as if he was interested in becoming a home owner. This individual gave a false name and address. He posed as this person in order to see a home on St. Andrews Street that the company had for sale. The documents issued to him as a result of this interest allowed he and his accomplices to gain access to the home. This access gave them a Barclay credit card that allowed them to rack up over 3500 pounds of fraudulent purchases. The card was used in Milton Keynes. It should not come as a surprise that this is just one of several operations that is currently ongoing as a result of the same gang. This gang has been operating in Bedford- shire for several months now.

They have stolen several identities from those who are often targets and the dead. They manage to get into the empty houses that are for sale to find letters in which false identities can be created. The gang then applies for credit cards under the false name as well as opens up bank accounts with the false identities.

On Friday April 11 the head gang member purporting to be interested in the St Andrews Street house was locked up in the Luton Crown Court. Abdul Zahoor age 25, pleaded guilty during the court proceeding for conspiring to obtain property by deception. Claudette Elliott from the prosecuting office told the court that the gang planned and carefully opened up this operation. Zahoor posed as someone interested in viewing the house. Then he would come up with an offer so that the property would be taken off the market. This would allow another gang member to visit the estate office posing as the surveyor for the property. He would ask for keys to carry out the inspection.

At this time the second gang member would get inside the house for a look at the utility bills and other personal information. This would help to get clues about the seller or occupants. Once the person had this information they would contact the utility company asking for duplicate bills and these documents would be used to open up the credit cards and bank accounts the fraudsters used.

The gang was able to stay in operation long enough to withdraw over 11,000 pounds from these cards. They also wrote 75,000 cheques that bounced. Zahoor is so far the only member of the gang in jail. Since his arrest he has received several threats to keep him from divulging the identities of the other gang members. Zahoor’s portion of the scam netted him 600 pounds for each visit to the estate agents. In one case Zahoor used one of the cards to obtain 2900 pounds and received 500 pounds profit. Zahoor is sentenced to 2 and a half years of prison based on despicable behaviour and greed.

Back To Financial News April 2008
Travel Rewards With Your Credit Card
APS and Prepaid Gold MasterCard
The Figures On Credit Card Balance Transfers
Pointers for Balance Transfers
Credit Card Interest
Credit Offers Limited
Executive’s Life Ruined by ID Theft
Getting Around Life’s Obstacles
How To Borrow A Grand
Paying for a Good Credit Rating
UK Debt and the Mortgage Industry
Abuse of Government Credit Cards
Asian Growth Helps UK
Banks Raising Funds Offers Hope
Darling and UK Banks Going Head to Head
Estate Agents and Card Fraud
Government to Help UK Banks
Insuring UK Gardens
Interest Rates Rising with Underhanded Techniques
Lost Luggage Insurance Removed
Overdraft Charges Increase Credit Card Balances
Prediction: 10 Percent Drop in Insurance Market
Rise in the Housing Market Prices
The Scams With Telephone Calls and Security Codes
UK Insurance Costs Rising