Met urges Londoners to protect their phones from financial fraudsters

A phone theft victim who had thousands of pounds stolen is backing a Met Police campaign to encourage people to take simple steps to protect their devices and finances.

Officers have dealt with a number of cases of organised gangs taking control of a victim's finances after getting access to their mobile banking and other financial apps – clearing accounts, taking out loans and using payment apps.

The Met continues to focus on tackling phone theft across London with increased patrols in hotspot areas and better use of technology to identify perpetrators. A recent two-week focus on prolific offenders resulted in 292 arrests across London.

Kush Chaudary’s phone was stolen by a group of men outside a bar in Soho in the early hours of 9 September 2023. The group struck up conversation with the victim and waited for him to unlock his phone before taking it.

Within minutes they changed his passcode, transferred £5,000 from his crypto wallet, and stole several thousands more from his bank accounts. They also took out fraudulent loans of £22,000 and later used Apple Pay to spend around £8,000 on designer clothes and electrical products.

He’s spoken about his experience in a video released by the Met to raise awareness of the issue and encouraged others to check their device security to limit the impact of phone theft. Kush said:

“With my phone unlocked, they targeted anything they could gain immediate access to including my bank and crypto accounts. They were even able to take a loan out in a matter of seconds, ready to spend as soon as the shops opened up.

“Seeing that unfold in front of my eyes was difficult. This was hard-earned savings I had that was being spent by strangers and I felt very exposed and vulnerable as I didn’t know when it would stop.”

The Met Police are sharing three simple steps people can take to protect their phone:

• Turn on ‘Stolen Device’ or ‘Anti-Theft’ protection features on your device
• Use strong separate passwords for high-value applications
• Watch out for people looking over you when you’re on your phone

Detective Sergeant Isabella Grotto, from the Met’s economic crime team, said:

“The Met has stepped up its work to prevent and tackle phone theft in London – with targeted patrols and plain-clothed operations in hotspot areas and improved use of phone-tracking data and intelligence.

“By intensifying our efforts we are catching more perpetrators, but we know it’s still a serious problem and I encourage everyone to take these simple steps which could help prevent significant financial loss and fraud.”

The gang involved in Kush’s theft were convicted and jailed following an investigation the Met. They were responsible for up to 60 other thefts and robberies in central London between December 2022 and November 2023 – and stole a total of £225,000:

Jacob Raki, 23 (04.09.01), of Quayside Drive, Colchester, pleaded guilty to six counts of handling stolen goods, two counts of attempted fraud and one count of robbery. He and was jailed for 33 months.

Joseph Serry-Kamal, 19 (04.05.06), of Jago Walk, SE5, pleaded guilty to one count of robbery. He was jailed for 24 months.

Herman Solomon, 33 (08.09.91), of Dundas Road, SW9, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and fraud. He was jailed for 31 weeks.

Smon Tecle, 27 (30.10.97), of Lett Road, SW9, pleaded guilty to one count of theft and two counts of fraud. He received a 10-month suspended prison sentence.

Further information on how to protect your phone is available on the Met Police website.