Motivated by pure greed: How this Uber driver's mobile scheme resulted in six years in prison
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In a world where technology is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives, the risk of falling victim to scams is also rising.
One such case recently came to light involving an Uber driver, Hassan Zia Rana, who orchestrated a sophisticated Telstra mobile phone scam that lasted six years.
Rana’s elaborate scheme targeted Telstra customers, resulting in the fraudulent purchase of over one hundred iPhones valued at approximately $200,000.
The police were alerted to Rana’s scam in March 2020, and around April 2020, they began intercepting parcels, with the phones being delivered by an Australia Post courier driver to various addresses in Mawson Lakes, a suburb north of Adelaide.
The 25-year-old Uber driver masterminded the scam with his brother, who still resides in their home country, Pakistan.
The scam involved a woman posing as a Telstra employee, calling customers and offering them a discount.
The customers were then asked to provide a PIN number sent to their phone, which was used to access their online Telstra account.
This access allowed Rana to place orders for brand-new Apple iPhones, which were then delivered to various addresses and collected by courier drivers hired by Rana.
South Australia Police raided Rana's property on 25 May 2020 and seized $65,000 in cash.
During Rana's sentencing, the District Court was informed that phones worth $200,000 were ordered between April and May 2020. Of these, around $83,000 worth of phones have not been recovered.
The court also heard evidence from an undercover police officer who Rana offered $25 for delivering the phone in a parcel, with a $1,000 bonus offered if he managed to deliver 150 packages.
Rana, a former student who completed a Bachelor of Aviation in 2021, was charged with 20 counts of money laundering after previously denying he was a part of the scheme.
The judge presiding over the case, Judge Heath Barklay, described Rana's actions as being motivated by 'pure greed'.
‘You gave various explanations, most of which were nonsense and almost all of which were lies,’ he said.
He found that Rana was working with his brother to send money from the phones to Pakistan, with Rana also receiving a significant amount from the proceeds.
'You were part of a sophisticated, organised group that was actively targeting Telstra and stealing large amounts of mobile phones from them,' Judge Barklay said.
Rana admitted during proceedings he had been involved in the scheme for six years.
He was sentenced to six years in prison with a non-parole period of three years and six months, after which he faces the prospect of being deported back to Pakistan.
With scam callers’ evolving tactics, major banks and telcos have been fighting back with similar cutting-edge technology.
Last year, Commonwealth Bank Australia (CBA) and Telstra officially switched on a new 'scam indicator' feature that uses data and algorithms to spot potential scams in real-time.
But how exactly does this new scam indicator feature work? Read more about it here.
Have you ever encountered a scam similar to Rana's? Share your experiences and tips for avoiding these schemes in the comments below.
One such case recently came to light involving an Uber driver, Hassan Zia Rana, who orchestrated a sophisticated Telstra mobile phone scam that lasted six years.
Rana’s elaborate scheme targeted Telstra customers, resulting in the fraudulent purchase of over one hundred iPhones valued at approximately $200,000.
The police were alerted to Rana’s scam in March 2020, and around April 2020, they began intercepting parcels, with the phones being delivered by an Australia Post courier driver to various addresses in Mawson Lakes, a suburb north of Adelaide.
Hassan Zana Rana will spend six years in prison because of his intricate scheme. Credit: Facebook
The 25-year-old Uber driver masterminded the scam with his brother, who still resides in their home country, Pakistan.
The scam involved a woman posing as a Telstra employee, calling customers and offering them a discount.
The customers were then asked to provide a PIN number sent to their phone, which was used to access their online Telstra account.
This access allowed Rana to place orders for brand-new Apple iPhones, which were then delivered to various addresses and collected by courier drivers hired by Rana.
South Australia Police raided Rana's property on 25 May 2020 and seized $65,000 in cash.
During Rana's sentencing, the District Court was informed that phones worth $200,000 were ordered between April and May 2020. Of these, around $83,000 worth of phones have not been recovered.
The court also heard evidence from an undercover police officer who Rana offered $25 for delivering the phone in a parcel, with a $1,000 bonus offered if he managed to deliver 150 packages.
Rana, a former student who completed a Bachelor of Aviation in 2021, was charged with 20 counts of money laundering after previously denying he was a part of the scheme.
The judge presiding over the case, Judge Heath Barklay, described Rana's actions as being motivated by 'pure greed'.
‘You gave various explanations, most of which were nonsense and almost all of which were lies,’ he said.
He found that Rana was working with his brother to send money from the phones to Pakistan, with Rana also receiving a significant amount from the proceeds.
'You were part of a sophisticated, organised group that was actively targeting Telstra and stealing large amounts of mobile phones from them,' Judge Barklay said.
Rana admitted during proceedings he had been involved in the scheme for six years.
He was sentenced to six years in prison with a non-parole period of three years and six months, after which he faces the prospect of being deported back to Pakistan.
With scam callers’ evolving tactics, major banks and telcos have been fighting back with similar cutting-edge technology.
Last year, Commonwealth Bank Australia (CBA) and Telstra officially switched on a new 'scam indicator' feature that uses data and algorithms to spot potential scams in real-time.
But how exactly does this new scam indicator feature work? Read more about it here.
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