The cyber scam sisters need to be jailed or others will repeat their crimes
All in all, Feezan Choudhary and his criminal chums conned a massive £113 million through his cold-calling scams
WHY on earth are the Daramola sisters still walking free today?
Let me remind you of their crime.
While working for Lloyds Bank, they supplied statements and account information for £250 a time to cyber-crime fraudster Feezan Choudhary.
Without that information Choudhary could not have conned so many bank customers into handing over their details and passwords, which in turn led to their accounts being literally cleaned out.
And what sentences did Amy Daramola, aged 24, and sister Emma, 23, both from Stevenage, Herts, receive?
Unbelievably, Amy got two years suspended for conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of her position and Emma 16 months suspended for the same offence.
The sisters were employed as customer service people to help if you had a problem at the bank.
Instead they were the problem.
All in all Choudhary and his criminal chums conned a massive £113 million through his cold-calling scams.
The idea that there are people working in your bank who would sell information to criminals is frightening.
And Judge Peter Testar at Southwark Crown Court thinks it’s OK to give them a slap on the wrist.
I would be grateful if the Crown Prosecution Service would go back to the court and seek sentences of at least three years.
How many other Lloyds employees might be tempted to do the same if they thought they could effectively get away scot-free?
Almost as bad is the fact that Lloyds has required victims to sign confidentiality agreements stopping them from speaking about their dreadful experience.
There are still some of the 474 customers waiting for a refund.
Why?
The bank’s own employees had helped the gang, for God’s sake.
They should pay without delay and stop making their customers suffer.
If you are being gagged, come to me and I will fight for you.
I know the bank’s CEO likes a legover but I didn’t know he enjoyed legging over the customers as well.
Trump on top in the Big Apple
BEEN in the US for a couple of days to attend my nephew’s wedding and there were straws in the wind which I thought I should share.
1) The average “gratuity” at a restaurant there was 18 per cent, compared with a maximum I have seen here of 12.5 per cent.
Generally the service was OK but not worth almost a fifth being added to the bill.
Watch out for Côte and their like-minded chums bringing the idea from across the Pond.
2) Until I spent some time in New York I had no idea how disliked Hillary Clinton was. My sense is that Donald Trump will go damn close to winning.
If that bomb planted by the Afghan in Manhattan had killed 31 rather than injuring 31, Trump would now be ten points in front.
The contest reminds me of the Brexit referendum, with the result being decided by the silent majority.
If I’m right – and to be fair my political forecasting has been damn poor – expect to wake on the morning of November 9 to hear the words “President Trump”.
3) I flew British Airways to JFK.
Two other guests at the wedding did the same.
None of us had a decent word for our experience, although the Club class tickets cost a fortune.
The food was awful, the scone should more accurately be described as a bread roll, and the attitude of staff was no better.
One family friend asked for a pen to fill in her customs card and was told by a female steward: “If a pen is handed in I’ll give it to you.”
Neither she nor a pen was seen again.
I am told an accountant has taken over running BA and it feels like it.
The whole atmosphere is mean.
My advice is to give them a miss.
A much-travelled colleague says Singapore Airlines and Emirates wipe the floor with BA these days.
If you don’t hit them in their pocket, they’ll never change.
Police force crisis
WHERE are all the bright coppers?
Lincolnshire Chief Constable Neil Rhodes is quitting in February but I hear there are so few quality applicants that the force is to advertise the job abroad.
I know London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the only hope in the Labour Party, faces the same issue with the departure of hopeless Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe from the Met.
We should consider bringing Army generals or rear admirals (there are too many brass in any event) into these jobs if nobody is considered good enough to step up from the ranks.
After all, the job at the top is politics and administration, not catching thieves.
Trouble at Man U
I SUGGESTED back in May that Ronald Koeman would be a better manager for Manchester United than Jose Mourinho.
Mr Koeman has done wonders for Everton while Mourinho’s ego- centric behaviour is damaging a great club.
My advice: Let him go now and flog Pogba while he’s worth something.
THANK you, Kelv. Column reader Harry Eames had been with the same home insurance company for 54 years when his renewal came in at £951.50.
He took my “don’t be loyal” advice and shopped around, finally switching to Axa for £206.19, a saving of £745.31. Incredible.
Not being loyal really pays in the gas and electric world.
Geraldine Simmons, from Swanley, Kent, finally gave in to my nagging, went on and saved a staggering £642 on her energy bills.
Love the savings stories.
Send them to [email protected].
Royal Association of Charlatans
JUST the mention of my name won justice for carpenter Reg Giles-Wyatt from the RAC (Royal Association of Charlatans).
This is what happened. In January Reg paid an extra £19.99 for a Keycare policy which promised to pay up to £1,500 for a locksmith plus courtesy car.
Giles, from Brentwood, Essex, snapped the key in the ignition of his Ford Transit but when he went to claim he was told that because he didn’t have the plastic key fob on the keyring at the time – it came with the RAC welcome pack – the cost was his.
It was in the T&Cs. It always is, isn’t it?
Anyway, a furious Reg paid out £250 for the locksmith then contacted me.
The RAC immediately went into reverse gear.
They apologised to Reg, paid back his £250 and agreed to give him free RAC membership for the next year.
When you come across this kind of racket, just utter these two words: Kelvin MacKenzie. They work a treat.
Show's over for Oliver
I HEAR brown-noser of the millennium Sir Craig Oliver is soon to serialise his book on his five years as Director of Communications for David Cameron at No10.
Apparently it’s a dull old tome as you would expect from somebody who started out in life with a diploma in broadcasting from Cardiff School of Journalism.
In the book he takes a number of pot shots at this fine organ, and is especially critical of The Sun’s pro-Brexit stand.
It’s that very misunderstanding of ordinary people that explains why both Oliver and his boss are now unemployed.
My bet is that Oliver will struggle to find work compared with his predecessor, the talented Andy Coulson, whose new PR business is going from strength to strength.
Mrs May should seek Andy’s counsel.
He went to a comprehensive and – unlike Sir Craig – understood the little guy.
Top catch
DOG-walking service in Littlehampton, West Sussex – Rolling Bones. Natural food shop in Cliftonville, Kent – The Grain Grocer.
Tattoo removal business in King’s Lynn, Norfolk – Tattybye.
Flower shop in Harefield, Middx – Making Scents.
Takeaway sandwich shop in Salisbury, Wilts – Snack Packers.
Recycling company in Sidcup, Kent – Bin Busy. Opticians in Aldgate, London – Eyedelistic.
Portaloo van in West Bromwich – Chemi-Khazi.
Not surprisingly, I’ve been told the transport cafe in Tipton, West Mids, called Sam ’N’ Ellas has now closed.
Very funny and all your own work. Do send me more punnies to kelvin@the-sun.co.uk.