A fraudster has been jailed for swindling a couple out of £170,000 in an investment scam.

Gillingham resident Kevin Pook has been sentenced to over a year in prison after funds meant for a legitimate company were instead transferred to one in his name.

In October 2020, the victims received a fraudulent email, which they believed was from the same organisation they were considering investing in.

A year later, it was realised they had been left empty-handed after the telephone numbers they had previously been provided no longer worked.

A police investigation established that the funds had instead been transferred to a shell company, NEG Services LTD, based in Ocean Drive, Gillingham, which listed Mr Pook as the sole director.

He originally could not be traced as it was believed he had moved to Portugal, but Kevin Pook returned to the UK on January 10 and was arrested at Stansted Airport.

The following day, Mr Pook was charged with money laundering and later pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court.

On Monday (August 19), he was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Mark Newman said: “Kevin Pook claimed he knew nothing about the offences being committed and that he had opened an account on behalf of others who controlled everything that went in and out.

“Even if that were true, he still played a significant role in an innocent couple losing vast quantities of money, and we were able to prove that he benefited personally.

“Fortunately, the victims in this case were refunded by their bank, but they were still deeply affected by this crime and the initial concern that they had lost everything.

“Pook is partly responsible for that and is fully deserving of the custodial sentence he has now received.

“This case sends an important message that even people who carry out their research and are very careful with their money can still become victims of crime.

“Before investing, always be absolutely certain that the contact details you are using are correct and that your money is going where you intend it to go.”