Two men from Hackney have been convicted over a money transfer fraud scam that conned ten victims across London out of more than £5,000 by showing them a fake online bank transfer on a mobile phone.
Patrick Mongan, 24, and James Maughan, 38, both of Hackney, were convicted for linked frauds carried out against victims across the capital between November 2025 and March 2026, following a Met Police investigation into the scheme.
On Wednesday, 16 September at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Mongan pleaded guilty to one count of theft and seven counts of fraud by false representation, while Maughan pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation. The pair will be sentenced in November.
How the money transfer fraud worked
The Met’s fraud team found that victims, who were predominantly young adult males including several students, were approached while alone by a man claiming to be visiting the capital from Ireland who had lost his wallet and could not access his money.
The victims were offered a transfer of money into their bank account if they handed over cash first. They were asked to enter their bank details into what appeared to be a legitimate mobile banking application on the suspect’s phone.
They were then shown what looked like confirmation that a transfer had been made, and told the money could take up to 24 hours to arrive because it was an international transfer. In reality, no money had ever been transferred.
Believing the transaction to be genuine, victims withdrew cash from their own accounts and handed it to the suspect. In several cases they were later blocked on the telephone number they had been given. The amount of money lost varied between individuals, with the largest taken from a single victim being £1,000.
The offences took place across London, often near transport hubs and cash machines. One victim was approached near Waterloo Station in December 2025, while another was targeted at Stratford International Station in March this year after being told the suspect had lost his luggage and needed money to get to his hotel. That victim was shown a screen displaying a successful transfer of euros before withdrawing £400 in cash.
How detectives caught them
The investigation linked both suspects to the string of offences through telephone evidence, forensic analysis and CCTV enquiries. Detectives identified a number of similarities between the incidents, including the use of the same apparent banking application and a consistent method of approaching victims and persuading them a transfer had been made, as well as the mobile numbers given to victims.
Maughan was identified through forensic analysis conducted on a photograph taken by a victim. The phone used to contact and scam two victims in his case was later recovered from his home address, while enquiries established that the person who had most frequently contacted the number given to victims was Maughan’s wife.
Mongan gave two different telephone numbers to his victims, but detectives established both SIM cards had been used in the same handset through analysis of the device, while CCTV footage also linked him to the offences.
Met warning to Londoners
“These convictions show how fraudsters can use a convincing story and simple technology to trick people into handing over their money. However, through persistent investigative work, detectives were able to piece together the full picture and secure these convictions. Fraud has a significant impact on victims regardless of the amount taken, and we will continue to relentlessly pursue those who seek to exploit and deceive others for financial gain. We urge anyone approached in similar circumstances not to hand over cash until they have confirmed the money has reached their account and report suspicious activity to police.”
— Detective Constable Ayshe Caluda, Met’s Economic Crime team
The Met says anyone approached in similar circumstances should wait until the money is actually visible in their account before handing over any cash, and should report suspicious approaches to police.
What happens next
Mongan and Maughan will return to Snaresbrook Crown Court to be sentenced in November 2026.
