A female fraudster, who has been breaking the law for five decades, drained £9,500 from the bank accounts of duped women, aged 87 and 70 years-old who were tricked into handing over their cards and PIN's.
Rita Hazel White, 65, of Rosehill Court, St. Helier Avenue, Morden was first convicted in 1964 under the Larceny Act and after these offences will have to again wear an electronic tag.
"I'll wear baggy trousers," she joked after being sentenced to a 12-month community order at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court yesterday which includes a three-month electronically-tagged night time curfew between 9pm and 7am and 20 day rehabilitation requirement.
She pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud by false representation, withdrawing £4,500 from the 87 year-old woman's account and £4,500 and £1,000 from the 70 year-old woman's account.
Prosecutor Miss Penelope Blake said White was caught on CCTV at Lloyds Bank, North Parade, Chessington on April 28, last year withdrawing the first sum.
She was also identified withdrawing cash from the second victim's account and when police raided her home on August 12 she confessed to withdrawing an additional £1,000 from another Lloyds in High Street, Banstead.
The 87 year-old victim had been telephoned by an unknown male with an "Asian accent" - purporting to be from her bank - who told her it was important for her to be at her local branch in five minutes with her cards.
Knowing the elderly lady would never make it the fraudster agreed to collect the cards, with relevant PIN's on her doorstep.
She was further reassured by the fact that when she telephoned her bank the fraudsters intercepted the call and convinced her it was Lloyds and there was an issue with her account.
A similar call was made to the 70 year-old victim and White was the only person identified using the cards to withdraw cash.
When arrested she told police: "It was me, I did it. I didn't get any money and I won't tell you who else was involved."
Her lawyer Mr. Chris Surtees-Jones told the court: "She was a 'patsy' the one taking the risk of being identified at the bank and getting caught.
"She says pressure was put on her by individuals to do what she did and she did not benefit financially at all.
"She only benefitted from saving herself from further assaults."
Recorder Alexander Hutton QC said: "It's not your bog-standard fraud. The overall fraud is very involved and very nasty.
"She's an important cog in the machine and these were three sophisticated frauds on the elderly, who were telephoned and asked to provide bank cards and PIN's.
"One was eighty-seven years-old and losing this money in the way it was done was an extremely upsetting experience.
"She was targeted deliberately, she was infirm and this nasty targeting of elderly victims is prevalent."
White was involved in a similar fraud in 2011 and also received a community order on that occasion.
"The prosecution do not dispute you were intimidated by nasty men who punched you in the face, but you knew this was dishonest."
A female fraudster, who has been breaking the law for five decades, drained £9,500 from the bank accounts of duped women, aged 87 and 70 years-old who were tricked into handing over their cards and PIN's.
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