How a London scammer used fake bank SMS’s and courier pickups to steal bank cards from pensioners
A 25-year-old London man has been sentenced to four years and five months in prison for running a sophisticated smishing scam that targeted elderly and vulnerable banking customers, tricking them into handing over their bank cards via courier pickups.
Fuad Hussein, from London, operated the fraud between October 2022 and May 2024, a period of 19 months. He used the online alias “Gogetta” on the messaging platform Telegram to conspire with other criminals while flooding victims with fraudulent SMS texts that appeared to come from their banks.
How did the scam work?
The operation combined smishing (SMS phishing) with elaborate social engineering:
- Victims received texts claiming an unknown or suspicious transaction had occurred on their account.
- The messages instructed them to call a phone number, controlled by Hussein, if they did not recognise the transaction.
- Once on the phone, Hussein or his associates posed as bank staff and kept victims talking for hours. They claimed the bank had identified an internal staff member committing fraud and needed the victim’s help to investigate.
- Victims were manipulated into either transferring money or physically handing over their bank cards and PINs.
- Hussein arranged for taxis (booked as couriers) to collect the cards. Victims were told to conceal the cards in bags padded with clothing so they could be “collected by the Bank of England for examination” or similar official-sounding reasons.
- In some cases, the scammers used technical advice from accomplices to remotely control victims’ computer screens and carry out additional fraud.
Police recovered evidence showing Hussein had booked taxis specifically for these card collections. He also exchanged crypto wallet addresses with other fraudsters and made related transactions.
Who was hit by the scam?
Investigators found over 30,000 phone numbers saved on Hussein’s devices, which he had specifically classed as belonging to people “potentially vulnerable to fraud.” The majority of identified victims were elderly pensioners.
The total losses are difficult to quantify precisely due to the scale, but estimates range from £100,000 to £500,000. Hussein initially claimed he had only made around £15,000 from the activity; he later admitted it was closer to £30,000, a figure the judge described as an underestimate.
All identified victims were refunded by their banks.
How was he caught?
The Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU), a specialist police unit sponsored by the banking industry, led the investigation. In May 2024, officers executed a search warrant at Hussein’s London address.
They seized:
- Three phones containing compromised card details and other fraud-related material
- £3,480 in cash
- A Rolex watch valued at around £6,000
Further analysis of Telegram messages revealed his communications with other criminals, including requests for technical advice on controlling victims’ devices.
Hussein was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to four years and five months in prison.
“Hussein cruelly targeted elderly and vulnerable individuals, manipulating them into believing that they were helping their bank and exploiting their trust for his own financial gain,” said Detective Constable Dan Jordan of the DCPCU.”
“Fortunately, we were able to identify this criminal and bring him to justice, putting a stop to his crimes before he could cause more financial and emotional harm. This sentence serves as a warning to anyone who tries to gain financially from fraud, that they will be caught and punished.”
What should you watch out for?
UK Finance and police have repeatedly warned about the rise in sophisticated smishing attacks that impersonate banks. Key red flags include:
- Unsolicited texts asking you to call a number about account security or suspicious transactions
- Pressure to act quickly or stay on the phone for long periods
- Requests to hand over cards, PINs, or allow remote access to your computer
- Any suggestion that a courier or taxi will collect your bank card “for inspection”
Banks will never ask customers to send their physical card via courier or share PINs over the phone. Genuine banks also do not request remote screen control for fraud investigations.
Consumers are advised to hang up on suspicious calls and contact their bank using the number on the back of their card or through the official app/website, never via details provided in a text or cold call.
