Man jailed for cash point scam

Ramdan Shariff, 31, of East London, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Wednesday after he was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation following a two-week trial.

Police launched an investigation in summer 2009 following a series of distraction thefts targeting elderly people at cash points in Battle and Hastings. A group of two or three men would watch people entering their PIN number at the cash point, distract them and take their bank card.

They then went on to make fraudulent transactions on the cards, in many cases emptying the bank accounts.

The crimes, which took place between June 29 and September 11, 2009, were investigated by detectives in Hastings culminating in the arrests of Shariff and one other man.

The second man skipped bail and has yet to be traced by the police.

Following the trial, DC Rhys Bendon, who led the investigation, said: “These were crimes committed by organised professional criminals who used subterfuge to take advantage of victims, who for the most part were vulnerable people. The eldest of the victims was well into her 90s.”