Post Office worker from Neasden jailed for scamming elderly

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Post Office worker from Neasden jailed for scamming elderly customers

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Crook defrauded pensioners when they withdrew money over the counter.

A crooked Post Office worker who defrauded his elderly customers when they withdrew cash over the counter has been jailed.

Ketan Petal, 24, of Swallow Drive, Neasden, targeted his victims by withdrawing more money than they had requested and pocketing the extra.

Blackfriars Crown Court heard his victims were members of a pensioners club and would visit the Post Office branch in Russell Square where Petal worked to withdraw money.

On three occasions a 90-year old woman asked to withdraw between £200 - £300, and as she suffered from arthritis Patel would help her put her pin in the card machine.

Despite the victim always receiving the right amount of cash, her bank statement showed that £600 had been withdrawn.

An 84-year-old woman’s receipt showed £300 had been withdrawn but she had received the £200 she asked for.

Patel had a large amount of cash in his possession when he was arrested in October last year.

Yesterday (Monday), he was convicted of four counts of fraud by abuse of position and sentenced to 14 months in jail.

DC Linda Kernot, from Camden’s Major Crime Unit, said: “This was a particularly predatory crime where Patel targeted the elderly and took advantage of their vulnerability.

“I am very pleased with the sentence and I hope it will reassure the victims that justice has been done.”

[stokes11eg]

How can these people live with themselves?

[Postman Plodd]

in a nice house funded by other peoples' money

[clashcityrocker]

Heinous though the crime may be, I am surprised it falls under the remit of the Major Crime Unit - or is that how they massage their figures on clean-up rates?