Two Leicester youths jailed for online scam

TWO men have been sentenced to jail by a British court for their role in an eBay scam.

The money launderers were involved in the scam that cheated innocent consumers, who paid for imaginary vehicles.

The Leicester Crown Court jailed the duo, Muaadh Sameja, 30, and Jay Raniga, 20, who were recruited by scam organisers to get the cash into their accounts and pass it on during the period between 2016 and 2017.

Sameja of Belgrave and Raniga of Hamilton admitted to various counts involving a total of 14 offences.

The offences include fraud, possessing, converting, and transferring criminal property.

Sameja was sentenced to 18 months in jail. He was also ordered to attend a Thinking Skills course and placed on a 16-week-long electronically monitored curfew between 00.07pm and 06.00am.

Raniga was sentenced to a 59-week detention sentence, with a two-week rehabilitation requirement.

He was also asked by the court to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work.

The two were also suspended for 24 months.

Two bogus motor car companies on eBay advertised vehicles, including two BMWs, a Peugeot, a Renault, a Vauxhall, a Range Rover Evoque, and a VW Golf.

The victims made the purchases, having seen second-hand vehicles on e-Bay.

The fraudsters of the scam arranged to purchase the vehicles over the phone with someone they thought was a salesperson.

The anonymous salesperson would gave them details of the accounts to pay the money into.

Lynsey Knott, prosecuting at Leicester Crown Court, said: "These two defendants, and others not before the court, were involved in offering vehicles for sale on eBay, which they didn't deliver when customers parted with their money.

"The money was then moved out of the defendants' accounts in cash and various transfers were made."

Some of the six victims, who spent thousands of pounds on imaginary seven vehicles, lost their valuable sum in the scam.

Others had loaned money to purchase the vehicles. One among the victims lost an estimated £8,000 inheritance.