Five men have been found guilty of hacking into an e-mail account and attempting to steal more than £3 million from a London businessman.

All five suspects were convicted at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, 22 May at the end of a five-month trial following a complex investigation carried out by the Metropolitan Police Service’s Cyber Crime Unit over four years.

Anthony Oshodi,, Foyjul Islam, Mohammed Siddique, Mohammed Rafeek and Meharoof Muttiyan were found guilty of various counts including money laundering, false identification documents and possession of articles for use in fraud.

Oshodi fled three weeks into the trial but was convicted in absence.

The suspects carried out their scam by altering the email account of a single victim, enabling them to send emails without his knowledge and preventing him from viewing messages from his accountant and bank.

The group sent several emails from the victim’s account to his bank requesting payment be made to a number of people. Payment was requested through fraudulent invoices containing account numbers belonging to the suspects.

In one week, approximately £1.3 million was transferred into three accounts. The money was then transferred again to cover their tracks.

Detectives managed to identify each suspect through the examination of banking, phone and computer records. They pieced together key evidence of the money trail, patterns of communication and the ownership of individual devices linked to the offences.

Oshodi’s computer also contained copies of 1000 third party passports and bank cards which were used to create false identities.

Muttiyan acted as a primary money mule, transferring cash through the bank accounts of a petrol station, an insurance claims company, and a computer business owned by the group. Siddique organised the distribution of £600,000.

Rot in jail.

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