Mahesh Panjala jailed for role in scamming $9k from Engadine woman

A foreign national has learnt his fate for his role in a phone scamming criminal group that tried to steal $18k from a south Sydney grandmother by claiming her Commonwealth Bank accounts had been compromised.

Mehesh Panjala was jailed for his role in a criminal phone scamming syndicate, where they attempted to steal $18,000 from an Engadine woman.

A cleaner who was an integral part of a criminal syndicate that scammed an Engadine grandmother out of almost $10K has been jailed for more than a year.

Mahesh Panjala, 27, appeared in Sutherland Local Court this week where he was given a total sentence of 13 months with a non-parole period of six months.

He pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, participating in a criminal group and possessing identity information to commit an indictable offence.

Panjala, who lives in Homebush West and was also employed at a warehouse packing boxes, was arrested by police officers when he attempted to collect cash from a woman for a second time after she had already been scammed out of almost $10,000 by a criminal group.

Agreed facts tendered to court said a woman received a phone call on her landline from a male who identified himself as Frank on September 23.

He told her he worked for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and her accounts had been compromised before she was advised to withdraw $9600 from the bank and someone would come to her Engadine home to collect the cash that afternoon.

Frank told the woman to tell bank staff she was withdrawing the money for her grandchild if she was questioned, insinuating that someone working at the bank was the person responsible for compromising her accounts, the documents said.

The woman withdrew $9000 in cash and an unknown male arrived at her house to collect it.

Panjala was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court.

Three days later, the woman received another call from Frank requesting she withdraw another $9600 from her account and when she arrived at her local branch to request more cash, bank staff were sceptical and contacted police.

The woman later received another call from Frank and he provided her with instructions for handing over money to his co-worker, who was Panjala, that afternoon.

Frank gave her updates as to when Panjala would arrive and asked her personal questions which police suspect was an attempt to help him access online accounts.

Police were able to monitor and record the conversations.

Panjala arrived at the woman’s home that afternoon and he asked the woman for the money but police then pounced and arrested him.

Officers looked through his phone and saw text messages via WhatsApp about the scam.

There were also photos of identity documents including credit cards and drivers licences of six people and one business.

Police believe Frank, the other male who collected the cash on the first occasion, and Panjala were part of the criminal syndicate.

In court, Magistrate Phillip Stewart noted Panjala had a limited criminal record and had been in custody since September.

He said the offence of scamming people was prevalent in the community and Panjala’s role was an attempt to get more money from a hapless woman.

Mr Stewart noted Panjala had limited ties to the country and it would be his first time in custody, but believed only full time jail was appropriate.

With time served, Panjala will be eligible for parole on March 29 next year.