The group of five were recently sentenced after taking part in the scam which tricked victims out of thousands of pounds.
Mohammed Miah, 21, of Coppers Lane, Kings Cross, Muhammad Ahmed, 22, of Hemingway Close, Gospel Oak, Motahir Rahman, 23, of Kiln Place, Kentish Town, Dedar Ali, 20, of Cressfield Close and NW5 and Mohammed Hussain, 23, of Malden Crescent, NW1, were all sentenced after admitting conspiracy to defraud at St Albans Crown Court. These related to offenses between March and July.
The group obtained over £40,000 after duping 11 people into providing bank cards and PIN numbers. The network pretended to be police officers or bank staff, while informing victims that thieves had hacked their accounts and details were needed for forensic tests.
When sentencing the five, Judge Stephen Warner told them that their offences warranted a deviation from sentencing guidelines to reflect the seriousness of the crime.
"These were mean and cynical offences deliberately planned to take advantage of the vulnerable and done to obtain financial gain. Those who commit these offences can expect substantial terms of imprisonment,"
Four of the men were arrested in July after search warrants were issued, while Ali, the fifth man, was arrested later in October.
Hussain received a jail sentence of three years and nine months for collecting cards from people.
Miah and Ahmed received both received three years and seven months, for respectively supplying hired cars for the gang and impersonating police officers down the phone.
Rahman was jailed for three years and four months after being found with cards when he was arrested, while Ali, the last to be arrested, was jailed for three years and four months after partaking in the conspiracy to pay off a £700 debt.
Detective Inspector Danny Lawrence, who heads up the ERSOU Cyber Crime Unit, said the gang preyed on elderly victims and left them in a great deal of distress and hopes their punishment will be a message to others looking to carry out a similar crime.
“I hope this sends out a clear message to anyone thinking about becoming involved in organised crime and, particularly in this case, phone scams. We will identify you and we will bring you to court,” said Detective Inspector Lawrence.
“This should reinforce the message that the eastern region is a hostile place for organised crime and we will continue to identify, disrupt and dismantle any organised crime groups.”
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