Lloyds Bank worker took bribes to launder text scam gang’s stolen millions
The criminal network had stolen money using a ‘smishing’ plot, tricking individuals and companies into divulging their personal bank details
14 May 2021 • 2:50pm
Ayman Touhami, a former bank employee, has been sentenced after taking bribes in the form of cash and gifts to set up fake bank accounts
Credit: SWNS
A text scam gang bribed a Lloyds Bank worker to help them launder money stolen in a £30million con, a court heard.
Ayman Touhami, 25, took cash and gifts in exchange for using false information to set up accounts where the criminals could place money.
Ayman Touhami took bribes to set up fake bank accounts for criminals. Image: Met Police A Lambeth man who previously worked as a bank employee received a suspended jail sentence earlier today (Tuesday, May 11) after he was convicted of involvement in a sophisticated ‘smishing’ scam. 25-year-old Ayman Touhami from Lambeth pleaded guilty to involvement in the scheme that created fake bank accounts used to lure victims into divulging their bank details. He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of community work at Inner London Crown Court Tuesday. Touhami was involved in what police described as a sophisticated scam designed to steal money from targets by pretending to be officials from their bank.
The fraudulent message usually appears on the victim’s mobile phone in the same thread as genuine texts received from their bank, deceiving them into thinking it is legitimate.
But the number given in the messages is fake and puts the victim through to fraudsters posing as bank workers who take the details needed to access their bank account.
The victim s money is then transferred out of their account by criminals into mule bank accounts set-up for the purpose.
The money is then laundered, in a process known as cashing out , which was where Huang, 37, and Morgan-Findlay s shopping trips came in.