Despicable Ayrshire fraudsters who conned £214,000 from members of the public while pretending to be police have been jailed.
At the High Court in Edinburgh today, Derek Moore was caged for 13 years and six months, and Julie Ann McQuade was sentenced two years and six months for offences including fraud, theft and impersonating a police officer.
The pair pled guilty to the fraudulent scheme on Friday, May 31, 2024.
Moore and McQuade called members of the public pretending to be police officers, alerting them to fraudulent activity on their account. In the phone call, personal questions were asked for security reasons, allowing the pair access to the bank account in question.
Ayrshire police launched a large-scale fraud investigation which led to their arrests after properties were searched in Hamilton and Rutherglen in February 2022.
Detective Inspector Ross Black who led the enquiry said: “Moore and McQuade targeted the elderly and vulnerable members of our communities, and it is right that they will now face the consequence of their despicable actions.
“We want to take this opportunity to remind members of the public to be aware of scams and take precautions to avoid becoming a victim.
“These scams are not always easy to spot and anyone can be fooled. These criminals are experts at impersonating people, organisations, and the police. Often they have details about a person they shouldn’t convincing people they are legitimate.
“If in doubt hang up and contact the bank using the phone number on the back of your card or official paperwork. If the caller is genuine, they will understand your hesitation, don’t feel pressured to handing over details or withdrawing money.”
Anyone who thinks they may have fallen victim to a scam is asked to contact 101.
Scam advice is available on Police Scotland’s website – https://www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/scams-and-frauds/
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