“Just when we thought
we had seen it all, says Tero Pollanen, a well known fraud specialist, we see
yet another major institution fall victim.” With all the chatter about the
major world banks, now it’s Western Union and a money transferring scam
involving a father and son team. Here we
have 2 people, illegal immigrants facing deportation from the UK. The father
was bankrupt several years ago and yet became an agent for a Western Union
transferring company after “various checks had been carried out”. Apparently
these checks were not quite thorough.
The business they set
up offered unsustainable transfer rates and was marketed to their own people in
India and Pakistan. “..the money transfer service had quickly gone wrong
because they were offering such good exchange rates that they made no profit.”
More than 20
customers over a three month period were defrauded as they used this service
which offered “excellent rates on transactions.” The judge that eventually
tried the case “described their offenses against their own Asian community as ‘despicable’”.
Both men knew they were facing deportation to Pakistan; the elder being fearful
of returning there because he received better health services in the UK.
Apparently despite his status, he had been receiving free medication.
It seems there is no
limit to the depth to which people will sink in these most desperate times.
Everyone must be vigilant.
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