A 64-year-old man who conned Londoners, including those from Southall and Hayes, by claiming he was a mortgage advisor and fleecing them for nearly £16,000 has been jailed for three years.
Jaspal Singh Juttla of Mallard Way, Northwood, was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on 25 May 2023 on four counts of fraud by false representation and one count of carrying on a regulated activity when not authorised to do so.
The offences, where property buyers were conned into handing over approximately £15,790, occurred between May 2019 and January 2021. He pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier hearing on 16 August 2022 at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.
Juttla claimed to be a mortgage adviser and offered to assist victims with property purchases. He would meet his clients – who were predominantly Indian and some spoke little to no English – at various locations in London, including Southall and Hayes. Some were also targeted at open house viewings.
Financial investigators from the Met’s Economic Crime team believe that there are other victims that have been scammed by the ruse and are yet to come forward.
DC Anita Sharma, financial investigator in the central specialist crime unit said: “Jaspal Singh Juttla is a persistent fraud who has exploited people in his own community, using their hard-earned money to fund his lifestyle. We are grateful to those victims who have been brave enough to come forward in this case but there may be other people conned by Juttla who have not spoken to police.”
DC Sharma added: “I urge anyone who suspects they may be a victim of Juttla to come forward and report it by calling Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or contacting them online.”
Juttla would fill out mortgage applications, arrange a survey for them and put them in touch with a solicitor that would assist with a house purchase. Once the victims paid the fee requested by Juttla, he would ask for more money to cover other services that he had made up. None of these services were carried out.
When victims contacted him to ask what was going on Juttla would make up excuses. On a few occasions, he did provide victims with a refund by bank transfer but it was never the full amount of the payments made to him.
Juttla came to the attention of police in January 2021, after Action Fraud received a crime report from one of his victims.
Following a thorough investigation, Juttla was charged on 20 July 2022.
If you suspect you have been a victim of any type of fraud, you should immediately contact Action Fraud online or by telephone on 0300 123 2040.
For more information, visit www.actionfraud.police.uk/
