Man, 33, pleads guilty to courier fraud in Northampton after trying to trick 81-year-old man into giving him £3,500

A 33-year-old man pleaded guilty to courier fraud offences, possessing criminal property and handling stolen goods at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (October 14).

Jay Robinson Minz, 33, of Tent Street, Tower Hamlets, pleaded guilty to these offences after an 81-year-old man was targeted as a potential victim of fraud.

The incident took place on Wednesday September 2 when the offender - who pretended to work for Nationwide Building Society, phoned the elderly man and told him that he needed to give £3,500 to the Fraud Department.

Minz arrived to collect the money at the victim’s home near Northampton the next day but, instead of an 81-year-old man answering the door, it was a team of police officers waiting to immediately arrest him.

Fortunately, the victim - in this case - was sceptical and asked a friend to get involved, who then informed him that it was a scam and to alert the police.

Minz pleaded guilty to all charges yesterday and was remanded in custody to await sentencing at Northampton Crown Court on November 5, 2020.

Detective Sergeant Simon Seed, from Northamptonshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “This is an absolutely excellent result and I am pleased to see that the hard work in building this case, from teams all across the Force, has paid off with a guilty plea.

“Courier fraud often targets the elderly – they are made to feel rushed, panicked and overwhelmed, often handing over large amounts of money to people they believe are trustworthy. This can have devastating effects on their mental health and can lead to the loss of savings they have worked their entire lives for.

“It really is an abhorrent, cowardly crime, and Minz should feel utterly ashamed of himself for being someone who tried to rip off an 81-year-old man.

“What he didn’t know is that this time, he picked the wrong person, as this victim was savvy enough to get a friend involved, who was able to tell him it was a scam and call police.

“It must have been a nice surprise for Minz when he turned up to collect £3,500 from an elderly man, to find a group of police officers behind the door.

“It is our job to protect the most vulnerable people in society so I’m really happy to have achieved this result for the victim in this case, and I hope it demonstrates to the wider community the seriousness with which Northamptonshire Police takes crimes of this nature.”