18 May 2023 , 06:00
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Lovely work by National Trading Standards in nailing a bent family who pocketed £2milllion by preying on people planning to travel to the European Union.
Brothers Damien and Dale Sartip-Zadeh began the scam in the bedroom of the home of their parents Mahmud and Diane in Sunderland.
The two, who had degrees in computers, used software to push their European Health Insurance Card application websites to the top of internet search results.
Their sites gave the impression of being official ones and tricked people into paying £32 for health insurance cards, which could be freely obtained from the NHS website.
Victims who complained were met with hostility and refunds – which they were legally entitled to – were refused and often followed-up with the threat of legal action if they attempted to claim a chargeback.
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Mahmud Sartip-Zadeh and Diane Sartip-Zadeh outside court, bags packed for jail (SWNS/Daily Mirror)Judge Penelope Belcher sitting at Leeds Crown Court told the brothers: “Both of you say there’s only a few complainants, so appear to take the view the losses are only limited to these complainants.
“If you commit a fraud on someone and they don’t realise it, then you still commit a fraud."
After the case Ruth Andrews, Regional Investigations and eCrime Manager at City of York Council, said: “Despite multiple warning flags being raised with these defendants, including a previous arrest and warrants at their addresses and receiving written warnings about their future behaviour, they brazenly persisted with their fraud.
"They were determined to continue, believing they would never face justice."
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said: “This was a case of serious and organised fraud, where large sums were taken from unsuspecting, ordinary, busy people and the sites were a scam from start to finish.
“National Trading Standards and local Trading Standards teams continue to remove misleading websites and the successful outcome of this case sends a clear message to criminals that deceiving consumers will not be tolerated."
Damien Sartip-Zadeh, 32, was jailed for nine and a half years and Dale, 35, got eight years for fraudulent trading and money laundering.
Mahmud, 62, and Diane, 60, got two year suspended for money laundering.
The four were found guilty after a 12 week trial in which Damien did not make the best witness.
At one point it was put to him that his websites lied about checking customer details and simply copied them onto the official NHS website.
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He replied: “If I was just doing that, that would be a scam."
Well, precisely.