A fraudster who boasted that law enforcement would never apprehend him has received a three-year prison term for orchestrating a fraud scheme worth more than £500,000 during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ali Amjad, aged 42 from Taverners Road in Peterborough, participated in a payment diversion fraud operation that targeted businesses across multiple continents.
The scheme deceived organisations into altering their payment arrangements for regular transfers and direct debits.
Victims included firms in Qatar, Kuwait, South Africa, Singapore and Oman, alongside a Cambridgeshire agricultural business that suffered losses exceeding £205,000 as remote working became widespread in 2020.
Amjad claimed authorities could never trace him because he dealt exclusively in cash rather than electronic payments.
The fraud involved cybercriminals intercepting company communications and altering payment details on invoices.
Hackers accessed email systems and modified documents that appeared to originate from legitimate business partners, according to Cambridgeshire Police.
When detectives searched Amjad’s residence on July 28, 2020, they discovered over £80,000 concealed behind kitchen skirting boards and an additional £3,600 stored in his bedroom wardrobe.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
CAMBRIDGESHIRE POLICE
|
Ali Amjad fraudulently acquired more than £500,000 from companies across the globe
An oil corporation based in Oman fell victim to the scheme through falsified invoices and compromised email accounts.
Amjad pleaded guilty to charges of arranging to facilitate the acquisition of criminal property and possessing criminal property.
His accomplices permitted him to channel stolen funds through their bank accounts in return for cash payments.
Detective Constable Alan Armstrong, who led the investigation, noted that Amjad had prior convictions for money laundering offences.
GETTY |
Amjad claimed authorities could never trace him because he dealt exclusively in cash rather than electronic payments
He said: “This was a lengthy and complex investigation involving multiple suspects and international victims, but it’s enabled us to stop this gang in its tracks.
“Criminal activity like this is becoming more and more sophisticated and challenging to detect.”
Six additional defendants received suspended sentences for their roles in facilitating the criminal enterprise.
Curtis Brown, 28, from Godmanchester, was given five months suspended for two years with 40 hours of community service.
GETTY | Keith Gibling, 54, from Bedford, received 10 months suspended for two years.
Warren Laver, 38, from Huntingdon, was handed 13 months suspended for two years plus 80 hours of unpaid work.
Thomas Pemberton, 34, from Ramsey, got 10 months suspended with 80 hours of community service.
Jerome Sergeant, 35, from Yaxley, received 16 months suspended for two years with 100 hours of unpaid work. Tommy Fordham, 34, from Somersham, was given a 12-month community order with 40 hours of unpaid work.
