Two sisters, who plotted to defraud the UK’s oldest bank - C.Hoare & Co. - to swindle thousands of pounds worth of designer luxuries avoided prison with suspended sentences today.
Jakara (L) & Wahida (R)
Customer service clerk Jakara Begum, 30, was employed by the private Fleet Street bank - founded in 1672 - and shared confidential customer information with her criminology graduate sister Wahida Begum, 28.
They targeted 41 mostly female customers of the fourth oldest bank in the world, using their bank details a total of 148 times to purchase Gucci and Michael Kors watches; Louis Vuitton handbags and trainers and other luxury items, including further watches from Goldsmiths.
If every repeated fraudulent attempt was successful the bank would have lost £189,000, but the sisters were limited to getting their hands on £12,430 worth of designer luxuries.
One of their favourite retailers was Selfridges and their online purchases were delivered to the family council flat in Redman House, Portpool Lane, Holborn, where they shared a bedroom.
“This is a case about C.Hoare & Co. bank, where you, Jakara where employed and where you dishonestly acquired the details of a significant amount of account holders, carefully noting all you needed for dishonest transactions,” said Judge Ian Darling.
“Those details came into your possession Wahida. This was a joint enterprise and much of the evidence that implicates you both was found in that bedroom.
“This was carefully thought out, involving the use of the information and requiring the organisation to ensure the goods were obtained.”
Prosecutor Gavin Pottinger told Inner London Crown Court: “Jakara had access to the personal details of account holders and used her position to take card and cvv numbers and the answers to security questions.”
The confidential information was found on bits of paper when City of London police raided the family home at dawn and 41 pages of customers’ details were stashed in Jakara’s car.
“C.Hoare & Co. is a private bank with better off customers than High Street banks,” added the prosecutor.
Jakara, who now works for a banking services company, was previously employed by Santander and the court heard she took a large amount of customers’ details on her last day there.
The sisters have been on bail since their first court hearing over two years ago and Jakara’s lawyer Timothy Banks said: “This has been a stressful and traumatic journey for her.
“It has taken a real toll on her mental health, the length of time this has taken. The whole experience has been a nightmare as far as she is concerned.”
Wahida’s lawyer Patrick Maggs said: “She has a degree in Criminology and is interested in a career in that field, but whether that is open to her is unclear.”
“The irony is not lost on me,” replied Judge Darling, who told both sisters: “You have come within a hair’s breadth of going through the back door of this court and your lives would be ruined.”
Both sisters fought the most serious charge against them, but on the day of their trial pleaded guilty to conspiring between January 15 and May 28, 2018 to defraud C.Hoare & Co.
Jakara had already pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position between the same dates; possessing articles for use in fraud, namely customers’ details, on August 7, 2018 and fraud by abuse of position on October 5, 2018.
Wahida also pleaded guilty to fraudulently using credit card details between January 15 and May 28, 2018 and possessing articles for use in fraud, namely customers’ details on January 15, 2018.
Jakara was sentenced to twenty-four months imprisonment, suspended for two years and Wahida twenty-one months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
They must also both complete 200 hours community service and the court made no order for compensation.
All the C.Hoare & Co. customers have been refunded by the bank.
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