Ghazanfar Khan, Kulwarn Chagger and Rajvinder Kandola defrauded victims by paying for high value goods with fake cheques between June 2020 and February 2021.
Victims advertised mobile phones and watches on online marketplaces for sale.
Ghazanfar Khan
The trio used the same tactics for each victim whereby they would arrange a meeting location to purchase the item via bank transfer. However, on the day of the meeting, the bank transfer was not completed, and the defendants insisted a cheque would be paid into the victim’s account instead.
When the victim checked their account, a pending payment was shown. The for-sale item was then handed over, to only discover at a later date that the money never entered their account as the cheque was never cleared.
Kulwarn Chagger
Around 13 victims were linked by two common fraudulent cheques used, online marketplace names, phone numbers and common names used during the meet ups.
Following CCTV and mobile phone work, we were able to connect the incidents to Khan, Chagger and Kandola.
The three men were arrested and consequently charged.
Rajvinder Kandola
Khan, aged 45, of Tividale Road, Tipton and Chagger, aged 51 of Park Hall Road, Wolverhampton were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and conspiracy to possess articles for use in fraud.
They admitted the charges at an earlier hearing and Khan was sentenced to four years in jail, whilst Chagger was sentenced to two years in jail.
Kandola, aged 52 of Tilbury Close, Wolverhampton was charged with possessing criminal property after admitting at an earlier hearing. He was handed a nine-month suspended sentence.