A fraudster who targeted a pension company and banks has been jailed for three years for making £178,000-worth of fake applications to get pension facilities and loans.

Michael Cross, 38, alongside co-defendant Fatima Ali, 40, used the identities of genuine customers to obtain loans, banking and pension facilities.

Mr Cross was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Inner Crown Court London last week while Fatima Ali was sentenced on 22 December 2023 to three months’ imprisonment, suspended for nine months.

Mr Cross was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,200 with a victim surcharge of £154 within three months.


The pair used genuine passports with customer personal information as identification which they replaced with their own passport photographs before presenting them as valid identification.

The defendants uploaded selfie pictures and videos which, in conjunction with the stolen customer personal data seized, allowed them to bypass online verification processes for setting up accounts. 

Mr Cross submitted applications on 90 occasions, while Mr Ali submitted applications on five.

The actual loss involved was around £59,000, but there was further potential loss caused of around £119,000, according to the Crown Prosecution Service which prosecuted the two.

The City of London Police compiled a lengthy file of evidence against the pair, which comprised extensive banking evidence, phone evidence and statements from the customers of the companies concerned.

Shilpa Chauhan, specialist prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The case highlights the importance of protecting our personal data, to prevent it being used by fraudsters for dishonest purposes. 

“The CPS has specialists working with law enforcement partners to prosecute fraud and the changing threats posed by online fraudsters.”