They stole a total of £1.25 million ($2.1 million / €1.51 million)

Apr 25, 2014 14:11 GMT  ·  By

Nine individuals involved with a cybercriminal group responsible for stealing £1.25 million ($2.1 million / €1.51 million) from bank accounts have been sentenced to a total of 24 years and 9 months by the United Kingdom’s Southwark Crown Court.

The fraudsters used KMW (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switches to transfer money from bank accounts at Barclays and Santander. They also made fraudulent purchases with payment cards obtained after intercepting or stealing around 1 million letters.

The cards were used to purchase expensive watches, jewelry and other high-value items worth more than £1 million ($1.68 million / €1.21 million).

Lanre Mullins-Abudu, 25, has been sentenced to a total of 8 years in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit fraud, two counts of conspiracy to steal and one count of possession of articles for use in fraud. Steven Hannah, 53, has been sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to commit fraud and possession of drugs with intent to supply.

The list of sentenced individuals also includes Tony Colston-Hayter (5 years and 6 months in prison), Darius Valentin Boldor (2 years and 6 months in prison), Dean Outram (3 years in prison), Segun Ogunfidodo (9 months suspended, community work and tag-monitored curfew), Adam Raeburn Jefferson (1 year and 9 months suspended and tag-monitored curfew for 6 months), and Dola Leroy Oduns (9 months suspended, community work and curfew).

James Lewis Murphy has been sentenced to six months in prison, but he has already served his sentence while in custody. Other members of the conspiracy will be sentenced in the upcoming period.

“Today’s convictions are the culmination of a long and highly complex investigation into an organised crime group whose aim was to steal millions of pounds from London banks and credit card companies,” said Detective Chief Inspector Jason Tunn, of the MPS Cyber Crime Unit.

“Through working with industry partners such as Santander and Barclays, whose efforts in assisting us were immense, we have been able to bring this group to justice,” he added.

“This case demonstrates the sheer investigative skill we are able to apply to tackling cyber crime, as we continue working to keep London people and businesses safe from cyber criminals. We are determined to make London a hostile place for cyber criminals and not allow the internet to be a hiding place for those who defraud people in the capital,” he went on to say.