Amazon fraud at the bank

Bank customers were tricked out of more than £1m after they were sent texts asking if they had made a large payment to Amazon, a court heard.

Unwitting victims of the fraud were told to call a number, purporting to be a fraud prevention centre at HSBC, and then tricked into giving criminals their confidential details.

Godfrey Zimbizi, 23, was jailed for 18 months at Southwark Crown Court today (weds) after he admitted his limited involvement in the fraud which netted £1,140,600 from HSBC customers.

‘They received text messages asking whether they had made a payment to Amazon in the sum of £2,999,’ said David Hughes, prosecuting.

‘The customers were asked if they didn’t recognise the transaction and told to call HSBC fraud prevention,’ he said.

‘They were asked a series of questions allegedly to verify identity.

‘As a result of answering the questions, they effectively gave the criminals their personal data.

‘Having obtained that personal banking data the offenders changed the telephone contact number and transferred moneys from the compromised accounts into other accounts known as mule accounts,’ said Mr Hughes.

Mr Hughes said £72,000 was transferred from one of the bank accounts to a ‘mule’ account in the name of Zimbisi on 21 June 2017.

‘That account was total of five accounts that he had with Metro bank,’ said the prosecutor.

As soon as the money hit the account, he proceeded to transfer around £13,000 to ‘mule’ accounts held by others.

The bank quickly spotted the fraud and some £58,000 of the money was subsequently recovered.

Zimbizi is currently serving a four-year sentence for selling class A drugs imposed in Northampton Crown Court in June 2018.

Richard Bentwood, defending, said: ‘He was and still is a young man who, having served almost his full sentence, now faces of a substantial custodial sentence.

‘He recognises there must be further punishment again today.’

Mr Bentwood told the court that his client, formerly an engineering student, got into a drug debt in 2018.

‘Those he fell into the debt with ended up introducing him.

‘It was through that introduction he got involved with dealing drugs and the mule bank accounts.

‘He recognises what he did was wrong and could see no way out of it at the time,’ said Mr Bentwood.

Zimbizi had been a ‘model prisoner’ and had taken over 14 courses and certification while in prison, said his barrister.

‘He hasn’t used his time to get involved in fights but very much with a view on his date of release in April,’ said Mr Bentwood.

Judge Joanna Korner told Zimbizi: ‘Anyone who reads the press these days knowns this is now one of the most common and wide spread types of fraud.

‘It is difficult to prosecute because so little police time and power is given to what is never an easy criminal offence to investigate.

‘It is absolutely clear that sentences passed for those who have committed these offences must act as a deterrent to other fraudsters.

‘Without persons such as yourself and others like you these frauds would not take place because there have to be accounts into which the moneys go.

‘The comparison between the handler and the thief is in this case very apt, since it is he holder which causes the theft,’ added the judge.

Zimbizi, of Northampton, admitted conspiracy to defraud and was jailed for 18 months.