A gang lurked around cashpoints before stealing people bank cards and spending tens of thousands of pounds.
Yohammes Eyob-Berakhi and Abdulla Mohammed appeared in Liverpool Crown Court on Wedensday, June, 7, after pleading guilty to a number of fraud offences. Eyob-Berakhi and Mohammed were part of a larger gang, of which five have been sentenced in total.
The men were arrested and charged following an investigation into an incident on Hanover Street in Liverpool city centre, in April 2018. A man was withdrawing cash from an ATM and during the process of entering his pin he was closely watched by one of the men who was stood near him.
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The court heard his bank card was later stolen and used fraudulently with more than £19,000 spent at high end stores in Manchester city centre and ATMs in Liverpool city centre.
Following further enquiries, the men were linked to five other similar incidents in Liverpool and Manchester. During these occasions, people who were withdrawing cash during a night out were targeted in the same way.
Eyob-Berakhi, 35, of Bowdon Avenue, Manchester, was jailed for two years and six months. He was also sentenced to three years and six months for a separate drugs offence, with the two sentences to run consecutively. Mohammed, 30, of Westman Drive, Manchester, was also jailed for two years and six months for fraud.
Three further men also received suspended sentences for fraud. Mohammed Yussef, 29, of Princess Road, Manchester was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years. Hassan Abdirahman, 33, of Pepperhill Road, Manchester was sentenced to nine months, suspended for 18 months and Mohammed Omar Ali, 31, of Stockport Road, Manchester was sentenced to nine months, suspended for 18 months.
Detective Sergeant Paul Kay, from our Economic Crime Team, said: “It’s very satisfying to see that justice has been secured for all those affected. These men committed the offences in order to fund their lavish lifestyles, using stolen bank cards to buy expensive items from high end stores.
“It is very clear that they had no regard for the impact of their actions on their victims. What these men did was pre-planned and they would carefully select someone who they felt were vulnerable and easy to exploit.
“This was typically people who had been drinking and were withdrawing cash from an ATM during a night out. Due to alcohol intake, it meant the victims were perhaps not as guarded as they would normally have been when entering their pin number.
“Our advice would be if you need to withdraw cash for a night out, try and do it before you go out or before you have had a drink. This stops the need to take out cash late at night or in the early hours of the morning and reduces the risk of being targeted by thieves and fraudsters.
“Always be aware if anyone is behind you and trying to view your pin when purchasing goods, withdrawing cash or strangers who want to be-friend you or assist you when using your payment card. This type of offence is still happening every weekend in Liverpool city centre and if you have been a victim of this type of fraud you need to report the theft of your payment card to your local police force and the fraudulent spend on your payment card to Action Fraud."
Action Fraud is the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre. If you believe you have been a victim of fraud you can contact them on 0300 123 2040 or go to www.actionfraud.police.uk
Advice and information about fraud is also available via https://www.merseyside.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/
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