FRAUDSTERS who targeted elderly people in Dorset and conned them out of thousands of pounds have been jailed. 

Danny Ngo, 28, and Dervill Rickman, 27, both of London, were sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on May 31 after admitting conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation. 

Ngo was jailed for four years and Rickman was sentenced to 32 months in prison. 

A third defendant, Raquel Viamonte, aged 24 and also from London, will appear at the same court to be sentenced on 12 July. 

The charge related to a series of courier fraud offences committed between 21 April 2020 and 5 June 2020 involving eleven different victims. 

The offending involved the defendants phoning their victims on a landline number, advising they had an issue with their internet connectivity and were due compensation.  

The victims, who were all elderly and vulnerable, were then invited to download an application, which gave the defendants remote access to their home computers. 

The defendants then tricked the victims into thinking they had been paid too much compensation and persuaded them to attend their banks to withdraw cash, which was then either collected by a courier or posted to an address. 

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The matter was first reported to Dorset Police on 5 May 2020 and enquiries revealed three victims in Dorset, who had paid a total of more than £18,000 to the offenders. 

Detective constable Tom Norman, of BCP CID, said: “These defendants were involved in a significant conspiracy to defraud elderly and vulnerable victims in various areas around the country. 

“We have led on this extensive investigation to compile evidence of their offending and ultimately hold them accountable for their actions. 

“We will continue to do all we can to protect vulnerable victims from fraudsters and will take robust action against those committing offences.” 

Further victims were also identified in the Devon and Cornwall area, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire and Nottinghamshire. 

The total loss to all the victims involved was more than £67,000. 

Following enquiries, a series of warrants were executed in London on 3 June 2020, which led to Ngo and Rickman being arrested. 

They were released under investigation and Viamonte was subsequently interviewed by officers after evidence was found linking her to the conspiracy. 

All three were subsequently charged in connection with the series.