Fraudster Benjamin Kapapula has been jailed for his part in a scam which ripped off a business and individuals to the tune of thousands of pounds.
The 23-year-old barber allowed his bank account to be used for the fraud which involved hacking into email accounts and creating false invoices to send to people and a business who had work carried out.
The victims paid the money into the defendant’s account before it was swiftly withdrawn.
Now Kapapula has been jailed for six months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
Prosecutor Jonathan Dickinson said the scam involved several email accounts being hacked into in January and February 2017.
Mr Dickinson said: “Emails were sent to two individuals and one business purporting to be a business who had done work for them and requesting payment for that work. He supplied his own bank account details.”
One victim, a retired man, paid £9,550.80 believing he was paying a company who had done rendering work for him. He also paid £4,700 to the company for the work.
Another victim paid £1,450 believing he was paying a UPVC company which had done work for him. But his loss was covered by his bank.
And a business was left £1,209.00 out of pocket believing they were paying a client.
Kapapula, of Brick House Street, Burslem, who has no previous convictions, denied three offences of fraud but was convicted after a trial at North Staffordshire Justice Centre and his case was sent to the crown court for sentence.
Robert Holt, mitigating, conceded the offences were serious. He said the defendant, originally from Zambia, has placed his position to remain in the country in jeapordy.
Mr Holt said: “The sentence could impact on his ability to remain in the UK once the sentence has been served.
“He has had time to reflect and he accepts he will be punished for his role.”
Judge Paul Glenn told Kapapula: “I have to sentence you for your involvement in a scam where false emails were produced giving details of your account into which payments should be made for services.
“One victim, a retired gentleman, sent off over £9,500 for rendering work done at his house. He paid more than £14,000 in all because he paid part of the cost of the rendering. That sort of figure is significant for anyone, particularly for someone retired.
“In your first interview you claimed you met a mysterious man in Hanley and provided him with your bank details on the basis his parents could send him money. You were to be paid £800 for that.
“When the payments went into your account you accept withdrawing it and giving the money to the man who paid over the £800. You claimed to have no knowledge of the hacking.
“By the time of the second interview the further transactions had come to light and you claimed you had no idea how those monies came in your account. It is not surprising, you were found guilty after a trial.
“You are not an innocent dupe and you are not as naive as you tried to portray yourself in the pre-sentence report.”
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