Taxi driver 'stole £90,000 from pensioner after adding himself to her bank account'
Tariq Aslam, 36, transferred the 77 year-old woman's savings into his personal account without her knowledge, it is claimed
Court appearance: Tariq Aslam has been accused of stealing from an OAP
A taxi-driver stole £90,000 from a wealthy pensioner after fraudulently adding himself as a signatory to her bank account, a court has heard.
Tariq Aslam, 36, transferred the 77 year-old woman's savings into his personal account without her knowledge, it is claimed.
He then passed half of it to an accomplice and withdrew £7,000 in cash, jurors were told.
Aslam later told police he was asked to carry out the transfers by one of his fares who claimed to be a property developer related to the victim.
Prosecutor Michelle Fawcett told the Old Bailey: "He was part of a plan with another man to transfer money away from an unsuspecting elderly bank customer into their own accounts.
"They were pretending that they had had the customer's permission and authority to do these bank transfers.
"Tarim Aslam provided the receiving bank account for the funds and also physically went into two different banks to withdraw £52,000 of that money.
"The prosecution are unable to say who was conducting the online transfers but they would have needed the defendant's authorisation."
The court heard Aslam opened a business account under the name 'Patel Builders' and a personal account at NatWest in Reading in July 2013.
On 22 July that year an application was sent to NatWest to add Aslam to the victim's account.
The application appeared to have been signed by the elderly woman but neither she nor her son had any knowledge of the request, the court heard.
A NatWest employee incorrectly authorised the request even though the victim did not come into the branch, jurors were told.
Aslam's new accounts remained unused until £770 was transferred into it from the victim's account on 17 October 2013.
Then on 21 October just under £90,000 was transferred, the court heard.
The same day Aslam visited NatWest in Slough high street to transfer £45,000 into his accomplice's account, it is claimed.
Aslam also withdrew £7,000 in cash from another NatWest branch in Slough.
He was arrested and interviewed on 10 March 2014 but claimed he was only carrying out instructions.
Miss Fawcett said: "He said he was a part-time taxi driver and had picked up a fare and drove the man to Heathrow airport.
"This man asked him if he wanted to invest some money and he was told to open a bank account.
"He had received instructions to transfer £45,000 and withdraw £7,000 and give it to somebody."
Jurors heard the bank reimbursed the victim of the stolen money.
Aslam, of All Saints Court, Downshire Square, Reading, denies conspiracy to defraud.
The trial continues.
source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ta ... er-7380938