A FAKE BT engineer who was part of a gang targeting people in Worcester in a “simple but sophisticated” scam has been sentenced to three years in custody.

Hashim Ali, aged 20, of Blakesley Road, Yardley, Birmingham, was the “frontman” for the gang.

He dressed up as a BT operative and went to homes in Dace Road, Kestrel Drive and Hallow Road in Worcester on February 10 this year.

The crime spree came to an end when a neighbour noted down the gang’s registration number and police tracked the car to a cashpoint in Foregate Street, Stephen Davies, prosecuting, told Worcester Crown Court.

Another gang member Asif Saddique, aged 27, of Fast Pits Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to 18 months for fraud in July.

The third man has not been found. Mr Davies said the gang called the victims, who were mostly retired, to say their phone line would have to be switched from analogue to digital.

Ali would then arrive dressed as a BT operative with a portable bank card reader. When the householder put in the card and number, he ran off with it and the card would be used as soon as possible to get money from a cashpoint or buy electrical goods.

Mr Davies said most of the victims felt humiliated at being duped by the “simple but sophisticated” con trick.

Ali pleaded guilty to 32 charges of burglary and fraud. Gurdeep Garcha, defending, said Ali had been arrested in August last year in relation to the first 18 of these in Birmingham.

He was released after 65 days in custody when the case was discontinued. In February this year, he took up the scam again in Birmingham, Coventry and finally Worcester.

He said Ali came from a decent, law-abiding family but had started mixing with older and more experienced offenders, who persuaded him to be the “frontman” for the scam. He said he now felt disgusted by his actions.

Judge Robert Juckes said Ali was the gang member who had gone to people’s doors and was the one “looking them in the eyes”.

He gave Ali three years in a young offenders institution, made up of 18 months for the first 18 offences in Birmingham and 18 months for the others, less the 267 days he has spent in custody.

Detective Constable Andy Blackford: “I am satisfied with the sentences passed down for the heinous crimes which these men committed against elderly, vulnerable victims.

“We seized a large amount of cash and a car off Saddique and the proceeds from the sale of the car will go into a fund to help victims of crime.

“The pair were West Midlands criminals who travelled into the Worcester area to commit offences and prey on our local community.

“I am pleased they are now behind bars.”