article_snippet.sent: both of Nelson, Lancashire be used to accept thousands of pounds in stolen money after the victims were conned out of over £36,000 over the telephone by a fraudster posing as a policeman.
article_snippet.sent: The couple, a man aged 86, and his 84-year old wife from Cardiff in South Wales, were contacted by a man pretending to be a Metropolitan Police detective sergeant falsely claiming they were about to fall victim to an Eastern European crime gang who had got hold of they bank account details.
article_snippet.sent: a man pretending to be a Metropolitan Police detective sergeant falsely claiming they were about to fall victim to an Eastern European crime gang who had got hold of their bank account details urged the elderly couple they needed to transfer they money into various accounts 'for they own security.'
article_snippet.sent: The caller even pretended The caller knew of a list of previous transactions the elderly couple they needed to transfer their money into various accounts 'for their own security had made, initially rattling off eight incorrect withdrawals before correctly guessing a £50 shopping bill at Asda.
article_snippet.sent: the elderly couple they needed to transfer their money into various accounts 'for their own security later told police the fraudster who claimed to be 'Detective Sgt McDonald from Holborn Police' was 'extremely well spoken' and 'sounded as though he knew what he was talking about.'
article_snippet.sent: The fraud occurred in January 2014 when the fraudster rang the pensioners from an unregistered mobile phone - later cell sited in London.
article_snippet.sent: Judge Andrew Woolman said: 'The couple were clearly elderly and confused and found this fraudster persuasive and on the direction of the fraudster had large sums of money transferred - not into the fraudster account but the fraudster used you in order, no doubt, to ensure there was no evidence against the fraudster, having committed this offence. '