A teenage student who tricked an elderly woman into transferring thousands of pounds from her bank account has been handed a suspended jail sentence.

Khyal Parmar, 19, a student of Kings Way, Harrow, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on March 2 charged with money laundering.

He subsequently pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court and was sentenced on January 9 to eight months' imprisonment suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

On the evening on July 29, 2015, the victim - a woman aged in her 70s - received a bogus telephone call from the man who claimed to represent her bank.

The man claimed that fraudulent activity had occurred on her account and that the victim should transfer her money into a new account.

After several prolonged phone conversations with a number of men, the victim eventually transferred £12,000 at around 10pm that night.

Almost immediately, the elderly woman realised that she been a victim of fraud and an allegation was made to Action Fraud and Ealing police.
Officers from Ealing CID investigated and established that the accounts into which the money had been transferred were controlled by Parmar. The money was further transferred into other accounts controlled by Parmar and his associates.

Parmar was arrested and charged. It was not possible to confirm the identity of those who spoke on the phone with the victim.

 It is believed the victim received a refund from her bank.

Rosita Irvanipour, also 19, of Braemar Gardens, NW9, was charged with money laundering. She was found not guilty at Isleworth Crown Court on November 2.