Serious Fraud Office returns £400,000 to victims of global e-mail fraud

The recovery relates to money stolen by Abdullah Ali Jammal, a former director of a retail-depositor bank, who operated an e-mail fraud scheme from the UK between 2001 and 2002, securing over £4.4 million in the process.

Victims were told that their help was needed to release money from countries including Nigeria, with the promise of a 10%-25% commission in return. This advanced fee scheme defrauded 18 individuals, many of whom lost tens of thousands of pounds.

In 2021, having determined that Jammal – who fled the country before being charged – could not realistically be convicted, the SFO decided that the case’s unique circumstances merited an alternative approach to recovering money for the victims. Jammal’s accounts were frozen, including over £150,000 bound for the family-controlled Jammal Trust Bank in Lebanon, which remains sanctioned by the US for facilitating banking for a terrorist organisation.

Investigators then spoke directly to victims around the world, working with the Australian Federal Police, Belgian Police, the French Liaison Magistrate, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the States and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to locate them and secure their consent for this action.

This demonstrates a new approach to civil recovery proceedings, with funds being returned directly to victims rather than His Majesty’s Treasury: a significant development in terms of how the proceeds of crime can be recovered. The SFO will now seek to use this technique across other relevant cases.

In pursuit of justice

Nick Ephgrave QPM, director of the SFO, said: “Fraud devastates lives. The SFO will pursue justice for victims using every tool at our disposal. This groundbreaking case demonstrates that determination. After years of complex international investigation, we’re returning stolen money directly to those people who were defrauded.”

Solicitor General Ellie Reeves MP added: “Fraud is a devastating crime. It hurts people, impacts businesses and damages the UK’s reputation as a trusted place in which to do business.”

Further, Reeves noted: “This Government is determined to tackle fraud and disrupt the perpetrators. The SFO has successfully secured thousands of pounds, which will now go directly back to the victims. This demonstrates the SFO’s innovative approach towards recovering illicit gains, working with international partners and the organisation’s relentless commitment to delivering justice.”