‘Heartless’ London conman who fleeced £80k from victims in telephone banking scam is jailed
A “heartless” fraudster who stole £80,000 from Nationwide bank customers via a telephone banking scam has been jailed for three years and ten months.
Edward Trustworth, 30, of Tottenham, would use stolen card details to make purchases such as luxury watches.
Southwark Crown Court heard Trustworth first acquired victims’ personal details and then took over their accounts by impersonating them on the phone.
He also created false documents, including forged bank statements and wage slips, to get a mortgage on a property in north London.
Trustworth pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation over an eight-month period between 2018 and 2019.
All the victims were refunded by the bank.
Detective Constable Matthew Cornell, from the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit, a specialist police unit funded by the banking industry, said: “Edward Trustworth heartlessly stole from innocent individuals with no thought towards the impact of such a crime.
“Fortunately, we were able to identify him and put a stop to his criminal activity, after working closely with the banking and finance industry.
“This sentencing should act as a warning to anyone who believes they can benefit financially from committing fraud, showing that they will be caught and brought to justice.”
A Nationwide spokesman said: “The safety of our members’ money is our priority.
“We take fraud very seriously and have robust procedures in place to detect such incidents and activity.
“We are pleased that after collaborating with the Dedicated Card and Organised Crime and Payment Crime Unit, the case has now been resolved and the perpetrator has been brought to justice.
“Anyone who was defrauded as a result of this organised crime has been fully refunded.”