AN accounting graduate who helped fraudsters steal £400,000 from a North Yorkshire pensioner has been jailed for three and a half years.

Muhammed Faisal Yakoob, 36, was part of a gang of conspirators who managed to convince the victim, who was in her seventies, that they were from her bank and her account was under attack from fraudsters. They launched a three week campaign of intimidation in 2016 which ended up in the distraught pensioner handing over her life savings.

Yakoob from Stoke on Trent admitted money laundering and identity fraud at Leeds Crown Court after an investigation by North Yorkshire's Major Fraud Investigation Team. Using mule accounts which could not initially be traced to them the fraudsters also gained access to the victim's computer and took out a loan for £25,000.

Investigators said Yakoob used an alias to rent a bedsit address and purchase a company called Glamco Ltd through which he obtained a fictitious company bank account. A post-graduate student in accounting and computer science Yakoob was eventually traced through bank CCTV after £125,000 was transferred to the Glamco account.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Ian Sharp of North Yorkshire Police’s Major Fraud Investigation Team said: "The victim in this case was an astute, educated, professional who was convinced by the conniving, plausible tactics used by the fraudsters to steal her money.

"She has been devastated by this event. The overwhelming impact seems to her similar to the experience of post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I hope she takes some comfort knowing that Yakoob is now behind bars and that the fault lies solely with these disgraceful criminals who took advantage of her trustworthy nature. Yakoob was part of a wider group of fraudsters who will be prosecuted should any further evidence come to light."

Police say people should always be on their guard when receiving cold calls particularly from people claiming to be from their own bank. DC Sharp added: "Fraudsters are constantly developing new and more advanced techniques to gather information about their victims prior to interacting with them. They often sound very professional and convincing, however, genuine bank staff will not ask you for your personal banking details nor will they ask you to transfer money.

"If in any doubt, always terminate the call and then use a different phone line to contact your bank directly to check the identity of a caller and that what they are claiming is correct."