Elderly couple targeted in counterfeit money fraud

A man has been jailed after an elderly woman was targeted in a courier fraud involving supposedly counterfeit bank notes.

The victim, from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, was told to withdraw money from her bank account so "the police" could check it was genuine.

Joshawn Johnson-Grant, from Birmingham, was arrested at Gatwick Airport and jailed for 40 months after taking £5,500 in cash from the victim's home.

Northamptonshire Police said they hoped the case would highlight the "very convincing" ways scammer would "ply pressure" on victims.

On 24 May 2024, the woman answered a call from a man claiming to be from the Metropolitan Police.

He said a man, who claimed he was the woman's nephew, had been arrested after using one of her bank cards to withdraw £6,500.

Police said he told her the money had been returned to her bank account by a criminal gang using counterfeit money.

The bogus police officer talked the victim into calling her bank, but he had stayed on the line so she was actually still talking to a member of the gang.

She was told to go to her local branch and withdraw £5,500 so the "bank" could check whether the cash was genuine.

After returning home with the money, she was told to read out the numbers on the notes and, a few hours later, she was informed the cash was counterfeit.

Joshawn Johnson-Grant arrived at the house at about 17:30 BST and, although the woman initially refused to let him in, the man she was talking to on the phone became aggressive and the woman followed his instructions.

Johnson-Grant went into the house, took the money, and ran off.

He was identified through fingerprints and arrested at Gatwick Airport.

Johnson-Grant, 23, of Sycamore Road, Soho, Birmingham, admitted burglary and theft.

He was jailed at Northampton Crown Court and also ordered to pay a £228 victim surcharge.

Lead investigator Det Sgt Matthew Crick, from Northamptonshire Police's Economic Crime Unit, said: "Courier frauds cause immense distress to victims who can often lose their entire life savings at the hands of these criminals, who are often very convincing and ply pressure on victims to follow their instructions.

"I welcome this sentence and hope that it will both provide comfort to the victim as well as deter anyone considering committing fraud."

Northamptonshire Police have issued advice on combating courier fraud.

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