Three men were involved in a courier fraud scam targeting vulnerable victims in County Durham while posing as crime investigators.

Paul Brown, Adam Rankin and Irfan Yousaf, all from the west of Scotland, were each jailed for a crime in which one victim was drained of savings for him and his sister, who has learning disabilities, and for whom he has power of attorney over her affairs.

The trio claimed to be conducting Fraud Squad inquiries into potential financial crimes and urged their would-be victims to transfer money into supposed “safe” accounts.

Durham Crown Court heard that police inquiries began in June 2021 when a call was received from a bank in Darlington after a customer said he was contacted by someone claiming to be from the Fraud Squad trying to persuade him to transfer money into a bank account, which, due to his suspicions, he chose to ignore.

(Image: Durham Constabulary/Action Fraud)

Jon Harley, prosecuting, said further inquiries revealed an elderly victim in Crook had received calls from May to late August 2021 also claiming to be from the Fraud Squad.

He was persuaded to write a cheque for £22,942 to a gold bullion supplier, but the cheque was returned as the transaction was suspected to be fraudulent.

Mr Harley said the victim was further persuaded to write two more cheques which were left on the doorstep of his home in Crook and collected in the early hours of July 21 and August 4 that year by Brown, driven by Yousaf, who then returned to Scotland.

They were subsequently paid into business accounts of Rankin at banks in Sheffield and Manchester.

Following clearance of both cheques, days later, Rankin and Yousaf travelled again from Scotland to both Sheffield and Manchester, to withdraw large quantities of the deposited funds.

Mr Harley said of the £22,944 paid in from the first cheque, £20,000 was withdrawn in cash by Rankin and some was transferred to another account, while the remaining money was retained by him and spent on various things, including nights out and hotel stays.

The second cheque deposited was for £24,910, of which £21,490 was withdrawn in cash, while £2,000 was transferred to another account and the remainder left in the original account was spent.

Mr Harley said a payment made attempting to buy £5,100 in cryptocurrency was rejected

A £10,000 loan was also taken out in the victim’s name by an unknown person

Another victim received a call in July 2021 claiming to be from the Fraud Squad.

She was told to transfer £9,500 to the same business account but the payment did not go through as she had insufficient funds, so she was persuaded to make smaller payment into Rankin’s personal bank account instead.

Mr Harley said of the £1,500 successfully paid, amounts were used by Rankin and the remainder was withdrawn.

Yousaf was arrested in March 2022 and accepted having driven Brown to County Durham but denied knowing Rankin or having knowledge of the offences.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

Rankin was arrested in July 2022 and made no comment to police questions.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

Mr Harley said Brown, who was already under suspicion of similar activity in Scotland, acted as the “courier”, collecting both cheques, and accompanied Rankin on trips to withdraw the cash.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

He said Yousaf was also a “courier” travelling to collect the cheques and acted as a point of contact for Brown.

Mr Harley said the total amount involved in the offences involving both victim, including those which failed to yield money, was £60,116.

In his impact statement, the victim from Crook said he felt “stupid and ashamed” by what happened, given he has power of attorney for his sister’s affairs.

He said he no longer trusts anyone on the phone and, “lives on the edge” feeling under stress.

When withdrawing cash from ATMs he said he always looks over his shoulder in case someone is watching.

He added that all his bank savings were emptied and the court heard it is not thought he has yet been reimbursed by the bank.

The victim added that he now struggles to keep his head, “above water”, financially, having had to take out a bank loan.

Mr Harley said the other victim said she was left “traumatised” at being targeted as she was and has a “mental block” about events of July 2021.

He said both Brown and Yousaf have “relevant” convictions for similar fraud, offences dating back to 2018, for which they are both now serving prison sentences imposed in Scotland.

Brown, 27, said to be care/of HMP Gateside, in Greenock, admitted conspiracy to commit fraud by misrepresentation and concealing criminal property, relating to some of the money made from the offence.

But both 41-year-old Yousaf, of Darnley Road, Glasgow, and Rankin, 32, of Mary Fisher Crescent, Dumbarton, were found guilty of the fraud offence, which both denied, following a four-day trial earlier this month.

The court was told any sentence imposed in the English jurisdiction would be served alongside those imposed in Scotland.

(Image: The Northern Echo)

Matthew Moore-Taylor, for Yousaf, said his role within the “enterprise” was “more limited” than those of his two co-accused.

He said the defendant has had his first taste of custody in Scotland but was transferred to prison in Durham prior to his trial, limiting the opportunity for his family to visit.

Michael Cahill, for Rankin, said the previous law-abiding citizen has had to put his business “on hold” and wants to return to that upon his release from prison.

Chris Baker, for Brown, said unlike his co-accused, he pleaded guilty, albeit not long before the scheduled trial.

He said had the offences, both those in England and Scotland, all been committed in the same jurisdiction it is likely they would have all been dealt with together.

Judge Jo Kidd imposed four-year prison sentences upon both Brown and Rankin, and one of 42 months (three-and-a-half years) on Yousaf.

She said all three took part in, “acts of extreme dishonesty where vulnerable people were deliberately targeted”.

See more court stories from The Northern Echo, by clicking here

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The judge said the victims have suffered, “serious detrimental effects, both financially, emotionally and psychologically.”

She set in motion proceeds of crime inquiries to see what assets their trio have to meet confiscation and compensation orders.

A crime proceeds hearing will take place at the court on January 27.