Bank insider jailed over £2m thefts

Shana Campbell spent 12 months passing confidential information to "sophisticated" fraudsters so they could fund a life of luxury at clients' expense.

Headed by fraud "mastermind" Olawasegun Adekunle, who was given five years, they posed as account holders, armed themselves with bogus documents and "systematically" targeted dozens of high-value deposits. They then "washed" their ill-gotten gains through car dealers and contacts including a council janitor.

London's Southwark Crown Court heard that victims of her "gross breach of trust" included a vicar, several businessmen, and some pensioners who lost their life savings. A Nigerian prince and a number of African politicians also suffered.

Even the dead were not safe. Three Halifax Bank of Scotland accounts belonging to a woman were repeatedly raided and £114,000 stolen soon after she died.

The largest losers, however, were a couple left £158,700 the poorer.

Customer adviser Campbell, 24, of Finland Road, Brockley, south-east London, who worked at Halifax's Bexleyheath branch, cost clients £785,712 but claimed she was forced to betray her bosses by unidentified gun-wielding criminals.

However, those trying her decided she was lying and convicted her of conspiracy to defraud between October 2004 and October 2005.

But they cleared alleged insider Joseph Imbrah, 21, a member of HSBC's service centre staff after he, too, argued duress.

He admitted "being corrupted" but explained that thugs not only threatened him with a knife, but warned he would be shot if he did not co-operate.