Key Points
- Organised Crime Network Jailed: Mohammed Hassan Farooq, 22, and Deva Raval, 22, both from Leicester, were sentenced at Inner London Crown Court for their central roles in a major fraud syndicate.
- Significant Financial Losses: The criminal operation targeted vulnerable elderly individuals, carrying out at least 164 fraudulent transactions resulting in over £187,000 in losses, whilst exposing victims to a further £300,000 in attempted losses.
- East London Victim Targeted: Among those victimised was an 80-year-old pensioner from East London who was tricked into downloading an app and transferring funds.
- Brazen Behaviour Captured: Police recovered evidence including a photo of Farooq posing arrogantly with a large wad of cash scammed from elderly victims.
- Specialist Police Investigation: The case was investigated by the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU), a specialist police unit sponsored by the banking industry.
London (East London Times) October 22, 2026 – An organised fraud network operating out of Leicester has been dismantled following a specialist police investigation into a sophisticated scam that defrauded elderly and vulnerable bank customers out of more than £187,000 across England, including an 80-year-old resident in East London.
As reported by Josh Bolton of the Romford Recorder, two key operatives of the syndicate—Mohammed Hassan Farooq, 22, and Deva Raval, 22—were sentenced at Inner London Crown Court after entering guilty pleas to charges arising from the eight-month criminal campaign. Farooq received a sentence of four-and-a-half years in prison, while Raval was sentenced alongside him for his role in executing the fraud scheme.
The court heard that between November 2024 and July 2025, the pair executed at least 164 separate fraudulent transactions. Specialist investigators from the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) established that the operation specifically targeted elderly victims, using deceptive text messages and phone scripts to gain access to their accounts and trick them into authorising transfers.
How Did the Fraud Scheme Target Elderly Bank Customers?
As reported by Samuel Kalantzis of Leicestershire Live, the fraudsters sent deceptive text messages purporting to originate from reputable entities, including the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), TV Licensing, or high-street retailers advertising promotional offers.
Once victims responded to the fraudulent communications, the perpetrators engaged them directly. In the case of an 80-year-old victim living in East London, the fraudsters convinced the pensioner that their bank account had been compromised. The victim was subsequently instructed to download a specific application onto their device and transfer funds from their account into what they believed was a secure account.
According to police records released by the DCPCU, the victim complied with the instructions before realising the deception. The victim reported the incident to their bank and was subsequently reimbursed in full for the financial loss.
What Did Police Evidence Reveal About the Operation?
As reported by Leicester Media Online, evidence recovered during the DCPCU investigation revealed the extent of the syndicate’s operational scripts and brazen behaviour. Officers seized photographic evidence from mobile devices, including an image showing 22-year-old Farooq posing with a thick wad of stolen banknotes.
Investigators also recovered handwritten call scripts detailing the precise phrasing used by the scammers to manipulate targets into disclosing one-time passcodes (OTPs) and approving security prompts generated by banking apps.
In total, the network successfully extracted £187,000 from victims across an eight-month period. Officers noted that systemic banking controls prevented an additional £300,000 in attempted fraudulent transactions initiated by the syndicate from being successfully completed.
How Did Law Enforcement and Banking Partners Respond to the Verdict?
As reported by Samuel Kalantzis of Leicestershire Live, representatives from the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit highlighted the critical role of joint public-private cooperation in bringing the criminal network to justice.
Speaking on behalf of the specialist unit following the sentencing, Detective Constable Matthew Cornell of the DCPCU stated: “Farooq and Raval were key figures in a coordinated operation that caused significant financial loss totalling £187,000 across a short eight-month period. Thanks to the close partnership between the financial sector and the DCPCU, we were able to bring these perpetrators to justice and stop them from causing further harm to vulnerable members of the public.”
Court proceedings concluded on October 22, 2026, when Inner London Crown Court handed Farooq a four-and-a-half-year custodial sentence following his formal guilty plea.
Background of the Particular Development
Smishing—fraudulent text messaging designed to trick recipients into revealing sensitive personal or financial information—has emerged as one of the most prominent vectors for financial crime in the United Kingdom. Organised crime groups increasingly target older demographics who may be less familiar with digital verification protocols or the operational practices of financial institutions.
The Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) is a specialist national police unit comprising officers from the City of London Police and Metropolitan Police Service, working alongside banking industry experts from UK Finance. Formed to combat organised card and payment fraud, the unit is funded directly by the UK banking industry.
In recent years, UK financial institutions have implemented confirmation-of-payee rules, multi-factor authentication, and artificial intelligence monitoring to detect unusual transactional activity in real time. Despite these technical measures, social engineering scams targeting human vulnerabilities—specifically manipulating individuals into approving transfers themselves—remain a persistent challenge for law enforcement and cybercrime investigators.
Impact and Future Outlook for Banking Customers and Vulnerable Groups
The conviction and sentencing of key figures in this crime network highlight both immediate protections and ongoing challenges for elderly banking customers, financial institutions, and regulatory authorities.
Impact on Bank Customers and Elderly Demographics
For elderly residents and vulnerable customers, cases of this nature reinforce the critical need for heightened vigilance against unsolicited communications. Although banking industry protection mechanisms ensured that the 80-year-old victim in East London was fully reimbursed, the psychological toll of financial scamming on older individuals remains substantial. Victims frequently experience distress, loss of independence, and diminished confidence when using digital banking services.
Financial Sector and Regulatory Implications
The interception of £300,000 in attempted fraudulent transactions demonstrates the growing effectiveness of automated banking safeguards. However, the success of the underlying scam underscores the ongoing threat posed by social engineering techniques that bypass technical infrastructure by manipulating account holders directly.
Moving forward, financial institutions are expected to accelerate the implementation of stricter verification barriers, enhanced friction on high-value transfers initiated by vulnerable profiles, and expanded public awareness campaigns regarding smishing practices. Law enforcement agencies will continue to rely on joint units like the DCPCU to target the central infrastructure and key operatives of national fraud rings.
