8 people have been sentenced to jail for participating in complex phone and email fraud.
The organised crime group, which contains several Nigerians were jailed for a combined total of 18 years and 2 months.
Hampshire police report that they gained access to as many as 2,000 BT customers’ accounts in an elaborate phone and email divert scam.
Portsmouth Crown Court ascertained that the gang spent the money on Rolex watches, high-value jewellery, TVs and designer clothes.
According to the police, the group leader Festus Emosivwe, 36, put a USB data stick in his mouth and chewed on it making data recovery more or less impossible.
Festus Emosivwe bagged a total of 44 months in jail while Charles Onwu got 43 months jail sentence.
Below are the other sentences:
- Festus Emosivwe, 36, of Newcome Road in Portsmouth was jailed for 44 months.
- Chloe Maylott, 27, of Purbrook Way got 16 months jail sentence.
- Charles Onwu, 31, of Wells Close, Portsmouth, got 43 months jail sentence.
- Victor Ngo, aged 30 years, of Lowestoft Road, Portsmouth, was sentenced to 43 months in prison.
- Pinelopi Chatzikonstantinou was handed a £1,000 fine and ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge.
- Adel Qadir, aged 35 years, was jailed for 29 months.
- Molade Fasuyi, aged 37 years, was sentenced to 2 years in prison.
- Olukayode Adepoju, aged 40 years, was sentenced to 19 months in jail.
They all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.