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Three sentenced for sophisticated online scam

September 21, 2018 6:14 pm

Three people who were involved in a sophisticated online scam and laundered around $12,000 in 2011 have been handed custodial sentences by the Lautoka High court.

Rahul Naidu, Avenai Danford and Rimakshni Ranigal were convicted of money laundering.

Naidu was convicted of four counts of money laundering while Danford and Ranigal were convicted of one count each of robbery.

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The court heard the victims in this case maintained their bank accounts with Westpac Bank and all accounts had online banking facility.

Lautoka High Court Judge Justice Aruna Aluthge said after hacking into their electronic banking facility, unauthorized money transfers were made online to two separate accounts.

The transferred stolen money was deposited into the account of Danford and another person which was later withdrawn on the instructions of Naidu.

Naidu transferred the money out of the country with the assistance of Ranigal who was a teller at Western union, breaching protocols and procedures.

Justice Aluthge said Naidu coordinated all illegal transactions as the main culprit.

Naidu has been sentenced to six years and nine months imprisonment with non-parole period of five years and for each count to be served concurrently.

He has also been ordered to restitute $12,000 to Westpac bank within a year and in default six months sentence will be added.

Danford has been sentenced to 3 years imprisonment with non-parole period of 2 years and Ranigal has been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with a non- parole period of 3 years.