A Zimbabwean man has been jailed in the United Kingdom for his role in a fraud scheme that stole more than £250,000 from elderly victims, with the money largely coming from their pension savings.
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Read E-PaperBrendan Mhara, 27, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison after admitting his involvement in the operation.
His fellow Zimbabwean, Faith Movo, 21, was handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to perform 150 hours of unpaid work.
The pair were among four people sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court after pleading guilty to offences related to fraud and money laundering.
Prosecutors told the court that the group targeted mainly elderly people by posing as bank officials to deceive their victims into handing over money.
The scheme left pensioners facing financial losses after their savings were fraudulently obtained.
While Mhara will serve an immediate prison term, Movo avoided immediate imprisonment under the suspended sentence, subject to the conditions imposed by the court.
