Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Two scammers convicted over fake college scam

Two scammers convicted over fake college scam

TWO scammers, who set up a bogus website in the name of Bath's Prior Park College in Bath, Somerset, were convicted of money laundering and given suspended sentences.

They started the fake website to defraud students out of thousands of pounds after they enrolled on a fake business course, reported the BBC.


Sanketkumar Patel, 37, of Leicester, and Chirag Patel, 46, of London, pretended they were running courses at the college and charged foreign nationals up to £6,500 for a place on the course.

The scam was discovered when a student came to look around the real school in Bath to discover the course they had paid £5,500 for did not exist, the report said.

Some foreign nationals who came to study on a UK visa were deported.

Prior Park College reported it to the authorities in 2015 and an investigation began. Some of the money the students paid was traced to bank accounts operated by them, the BBC report added.

The proceeds of crime were initially laundered through an account in a false name before being transferred to an account of Sanketkumar Patel, of Edenhall Close, Leicester.

It was discovered that he operated a money transfer business with two offices in London. He was convicted of two counts of money laundering a total of £13,000 and was sentenced to 21 months in jail, suspended for two years.

Chirag Patel, of Wellspring Crescent, Wembley, pleaded guilty to eight counts of money laundering a total of £47,000 and was sentenced to two years in prison for each offence, suspended for two years.

The judge ordered him to do 120 hours of community service and pay £2,000 in costs.

He had also received money from fake job adverts enticing foreign nationals to apply for work in the UK at care homes in Surrey, Sussex and Wales, committing some of the offences while on licence.

According to the report, Bath & North East Somerset Council Trading Standards worked with the police and HM Revenue & Customs to bring the case to court.

Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for planning and licensing, has said that these two individuals were part of a sophisticated money laundering exercise intended to evade the authorities and let the criminal gangs profit.

"We remain saddened that innocent people fell victim to this callous manipulation of their aspirations to attend our school," Emma Sandberg, director of operations & finance at Prior Park College, told the BBC.

More For You

Sri Lanka forms committee to address UK sanctions
Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Sri Lanka forms committee to address UK sanctions

THE Sri Lanka government on Wednesday (2) formed a committee to recommend measures regarding the UK's decision to impose sanctions on three former military commanders who led the campaign that crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.

Health minister Nalinda Jayatissa told reporters that foreign minister Vijitha Herath, justice minister Harshana Nanayakkara and deputy minister of defence Aruna Jayasekara would comprise the committee that would consult experts for the purpose.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gujarat-blast-ANI

The blast caused the factory’s concrete roof to collapse, scattering debris and body parts across the area, officials confirmed. (Photo: ANI)

ANI

Death toll rises to 21 in Gujarat firework factory explosion

AN EXPLOSION at an illegal firecracker factory in Gujarat's Deesa town killed 21 people and injured several others on Tuesday, officials said.

The blast caused the factory’s concrete roof to collapse, scattering debris and body parts across the area, officials confirmed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Child benefit payments set to rise for UK families

Child benefit, normally paid every four weeks directly into bank accounts, has undergone significant changes in recent months (Photo: Getty Images)

Child benefit payments set to rise for UK families

MILLIONS of British families are set to receive a financial boost as child benefit payments increase from April 7, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

From next week, parents will receive £26.05 per week for the eldest or only child, amounting to £1,354.60 annually - up from the current rate of £25.60. For each additional child, payments will rise to £17.25 weekly, totalling £897 per year - an increase from the present £16.95 rate. This represents a 1.7 per cent increase across all payment categories.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anant Ambani Walks 140 Km in Spiritual Tribute on 30th Birthday

Anant’s padyatra is a reflection of the larger cultural fabric of India

Getty

Anant Ambani embarks on a 140-kilometer spiritual journey on foot to celebrate 30th birthday

Anant Ambani, a director of Reliance Industries Limited and a prominent figure in Indian industry, has chosen a unique and spiritual way to mark his 30th birthday. As part of his celebrations, he is currently undertaking a padyatra—a traditional pilgrimage on foot—from Jamnagar to Dwarka, covering a distance of approximately 140 kilometres. The journey reflects his devotion to Lord Dwarkadhish, the presiding deity of the Dwarkadhish Temple in the city of Dwarka.

Anant began his journey from his family’s residence in Moti Khavdi, Jamnagar, and has been progressing steadily for the past five days. Walking an estimated 10-12 kilometres each night, he travels under the protection of Z+ security and local police, ensuring his safety during this significant journey. The padyatra is expected to take between seven to nine days in total, with plans to conclude at the Dwarkadhish Temple in time for his birthday on April 10.

Keep ReadingShow less
New TB action plan proposed as cases surge

Government urged experts to come forward to help draw up a new five-year TB action plan. (Photo: Getty Images)

New TB action plan proposed as cases surge

BRITAIN on Wednesday (2) urged health experts and sufferers of tuberculosis (TB) to come forward to help draw up a new five-year action plan as it deals with record rises in the disease.

In 2023, England recorded its largest annual increase (11 per cent) in cases since enhanced surveillance began in 2000.

Keep ReadingShow less