The UK’s biggest-ever fraud sting has brought down a phone number spoofing site used by criminals to scam thousands of victims out of millions of pounds.
Members of British law enforcement were part of a global operation to take down ispoof.cc – a website described by police as an online fraud shop.
They worked with Dutch law enforcement who managed to tap the website’s servers in the Netherlands to secretly listen to phone calls.
At one point as many as 20 people every minute were being targeted by callers using technology bought from the site, which is said to have made more than £3m profit.
Criminals used the site to buy technology that allowed them to mask their phone number, after finding out about it from adverts posted on Telegram channels.
This allowed them to trick victims into thinking they were being contacted by their bank and persuade them to pass on personal details that allowed the fraudsters to steal cash.
One victim lost £3m, with the average loss among the 4,785 people who reported being targeted to Action Fraud at £10,000. Police believe up to £48m has been stolen.
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Around 200,000 victims across the world
There are thought to be many more potential victims – around 200,000 globally, with a high percentage of the calls made in the UK and US.
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Of 10 million fraudulent calls made, 40% were in the US, 35% were in the UK and the rest were spread across other countries.
So far 120 arrests have been made including 103 in London and 17 outside the capital.
This includes alleged site administrator Teejay Fletcher, 35, who was arrested in east London earlier this month and is facing criminal charges.
Police said Fletcher, who is alleged to be a member of an organised crime group, was living a “lavish” lifestyle.
On Thursday and Friday, around 70,000 UK phone numbers called by criminals who used the site will be alerted by the Metropolitan Police via text message and asked to contact the force.
However, if a text message comes after that time, it will not be from the force.
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Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the number of potential UK victims was “extraordinary”.
Ispoof was created in December 2020 and at its peak had 59,000 users, allowing them to pay for the criminal software using Bitcoin, with charges ranging from £150 to £5,000 per month.
UK police began investigating the site in June 2021.
It has been fewer than two years since Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves told Tory MP Natalie Elphicke to “f*** off” for criticising Marcus Rashford at the Euros. Now they are colleagues.
The Dover MP has long been critical of the Labour Party – especially on immigration – but she now says the party has “changed out of all recognition” and is trying to create “a Britain everyone can be a part of”.
Ms Elphicke added that the Conservatives “ousted” Boris Johnson in a “coup led by the unelected Rishi Sunak” – with the party now a “byword for incompetence and division”.
So who is Natalie Elphicke, what are her policies, and why did she defect?
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Defecting Tory MP crosses floor to Labour
Who is Natalie Elphicke?
Professionally a solicitor, Ms Elphicke was long involved in Conservative Party politics, working with thinktanks and on policy goals.
She was not selected to contest a parliamentary seat until 2019 – despite trying before – although the opportunity emerged from scandal.
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Her now ex-husband, Charlie Elphicke, had been the Conservative MP for Dover, but he was arrested, charged and eventually convicted of three counts of sexual assault in 2020.
Ms Elphicke contested the Dover seat in 2019 for the Conservatives after her husband’s arrest, and almost doubled the majority to 12,278.
She will not be standing at the next general election, and campaigned for Liz Truss to become prime minister in 2022.
What are her policies?
Ms Elphicke has been outspoken on migration, especially as the MP for Dover.
It was alongside Ms Elphicke that Rishi Sunak announced his plan to stop small boats crossing the English Channel was working in Dover last year.
In the minutes after her defection, Conservative MPs began sharing previous statements from Ms Elphicke.
For example, in April 2023, Ms Elphicke wrote in the Daily Express that Labour’s attempts to stop the Rwanda deportation scheme was “dangerous” – and that Sir Keir Starmer wanted to create “loopholes” in the system.
And Tory MPs also shared a social media post from late 2022 in which Ms Elphicke claimed: “A reminder that Labour back fewer and weaker border controls when it comes to illegal arrivals on our shores.”
In the wake of England’s loss in the Euro 2020 final – held in 2021 due to COVID – Ms Elphicke sent a private message which said: “They lost – would it be ungenerous to suggest Rashford should have spent more time perfecting his game and less time playing politics.”
She later apologised, although when asked about the comments, Ms Reeves said in late 2022 that Ms Elphicke should “f*** off”.
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In a statement shared by the Labour Party, Ms Elphicke mentioned Mr Sunak “failing” on keeping “our borders safe and secure”.
She added: “Meanwhile Labour plan to build the homes we need, help young people onto the housing ladder and care about the vulnerable and homeless. That’s why I’m honoured to have been asked to work with Keir and the team to help deliver the homes we need.
“We need to move on from the broken promises of Rishi Sunak’s tired and chaotic government. Britain needs a government that will build a future of hope, optimism, opportunity and fairness.
“A Britain everyone can be part of, that will make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead. That’s why it’s time for change. Time for a Labour government led by Keir Starmer.
Every match from the opening round of the three English Football League (EFL) divisions will be streamed live in a broadcasting first.
The airing of all 36 fixtures on the weekend of 10 and 11 August will be on a new Sky Sports + service from the parent company of Sky News.
It marks the start of a new five-year broadcasting rights deal between Sky and the EFL, covering the professional leagues below the Premier League.
Sky Sports managing director Jonathan Licht said: “For the first time, we will broadcast every game live from across the EFL on the opening weekend.
“It’s going to be a huge moment for football fans up and down the country and is a fitting way to kick off our ground-breaking new partnership with the EFL.”
Matches that kick-off at 3pm on Saturdays cannot usually be broadcast live to UK audiences due to a long-running blackout rule.
Also known as Article 48, it is a blacked-out period between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturday afternoons when live football can’t be shown, meaning on most weekends the main broadcast fixtures are done around this time period.
But for the opening weekend, the blackout would not be in place, with the Premier League starting a week later.
The latest round of branch closures will start in September, and continue through to May next year.
TSB will have 175 branches across the UK after the latest round of closures. Ten branches have already been closed over the last year.
The branches to be closed in September are in: Alloa Bedworth Birmingham, Pype Hayes Bridlington Buxton Carmarthen Cwmbran Dovercourt Edinburgh, Leith Felixstowe Frome Glasgow, Cardonald Glasgow, Castlemilk Haddington Hounslow Lerwick Leven London, Bethnal Green London, Clapham Longton Manchester, Middleton Newcastle upon Tyne Peterhead Sheerness Stornoway Torquay Whitehaven
The branches due to be closed in May 2025 are in: Amble Aylsham Banff Bedlington Bude Crook Flint Tenbury Wells Whitchurch
The closures come as the lender said most account holders do their banking online and there is a need to “better balance” staff in face-to-face and digital roles.
A TSB spokesperson said it is making the changes “to remain competitive” and “to simplify the way we operate”.
“Our priority is to consult with impacted colleagues to ensure they’re fully supported, maximising redeployment opportunities where we can,” the spokesperson added.
“We remain committed to a national branch network and through innovation and integration with video, telephone, digital, branch and other face-to-face services TSB customers have more ways to bank with us than ever before.”
The workers who are due to lose their jobs “perform essential work in the fraud departments and across the branch network”, Unite regional officer Andy Case said.
“Through extensive negotiations Unite has been able to substantially reduce the number of jobs at risk. However, that isn’t sufficient, the union is pressing TSB to urgently reconsider its damaging bank branch closures plan.
“At a time when customers are increasingly concerned about financial fraud and often need support from a local bank branch this is the wrong course of action.”
The union said it is holding fresh talks with TSB in an attempt to prevent further job cuts.
Cuts were anticipated after the boss of TSB’s Spanish parent firm Sabadell told reporters in February that cost-saving plans would result in job losses and branch closures.