Three Nigerians In UK Found Guilty Of Scamming Vodafone, Other Corporations For £429,304

Four individuals, including three Nigerians and one other residing in the United Kingdom, have been sentenced to a combined total of 11 years by Portsmouth Crown Court for defrauding Vodafone, EE, O2, and Carphone Warehouse of £429,304. The convicted individuals, Oluwadamilola Bolaji, Taofeeq Balogun, Taiwo Agusto, and Carriba Johnson, admitted to their involvement in the fraud during court proceedings.

The fraud came to light when a Hampshire resident reported to the police that four mobile phone accounts had been opened in his name without his consent between February 14 and February 19, 2020. Investigations revealed that contracts were obtained from EE, O2, and Vodafone stores using the victim’s manipulated details.

Operation Waterspout, a Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary investigation, was launched to probe the organized crime group responsible for the high-value commercial fraud. The group utilized stolen personal information from various individuals across England and Wales to secure new phone contracts and acquire expensive mobile devices, including Apple Watches and iPads.

The sentences handed down by the court are as follows: Bolaji, 32, from Gravesend, Kent, received a six-year and three-month jail term for his involvement in the £145,000 fraud conspiracy. Balogun, 30, with no fixed address in Basingstoke, was sentenced to three years for his part in the £25,000 conspiracy. Agusto, 43, from Dartford, Kent, received a one-year and nine-month sentence for his role in the £3,000 conspiracy. Johnson, 31, from Southwark, London, received a suspended sentence of 24 months imprisonment for her involvement in the £2,500 conspiracy.

The investigation, which involved searches of the group’s residences, led to the seizure of numerous forged documents, including fake passports, bankcards, bank statements, utility bills, and stolen driving licenses. These items were used in the fraud to facilitate transactions and receive mobile phones through cell site data connections, SIM card sharing, and bank transactions.

Despite 602 fraudulent transactions involving 176 phone company customers, no financial losses were incurred by the victims. Detective Constable Owain Davies from the Hampshire Police Economic Crime Team emphasized that the sentences would act as a deterrent to others engaged in fraudulent activities.

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