MEMBERS of a gang, which hijacked mobile phones to defraud Vodafone customers of £2.8 million by making calls to premium rate numbers, have been jailed.

The four men obtained customer details from data management firms and then linked mobile numbers to SIM cards in their possession by posing as legitimate account holders.

They used the cards to repeatedly make calls to premium rate lines they had purchased, with connection charges of about £2.50 each time.

About 1500 accounts were hijacked, costing Vodafone in excess of £1 million.

One victim received a bill for £80,000 and thought she would have to sell her home to repay it, Blackfriars Crown Court in south London heard.

The gang was given a total of 11 years and five months in prison for conspiracy to defraud.

Kaleem Hussain, 30, from Maynard Road in Rotherham, was jailed for 38 months after pleading guilty to his role in the scam.

Nadeem Ali, 26, from Clifton Lane in Rotherham, got 21 months, Waseem Rashid, 26, also from Clifton Lane, got 30 months and Imran Rasab, 35, from Hooton Road in Mexborough, south Yorks, received a four year sentence for his role after being found guilty

Passing sentence, judge Henry Blacksell, QC, said their plot had the appearance of being "cavalier and sophisticated".

He said: "The billed losses to the respective customers amounted to some £2.8m, but as anyone who understands the fraud knows, the losses suffered by the providers in this case amount to somewhere in excess of £1m."

All four men smiled at their relatives in the public gallery when they were taken down.

Speaking outside court, Detective Constable Mark Wootton said that the offences were "definitely not victimless".

He said: "Normal, everyday members of the public ...lost service with their mobile phones for a ­significant time and they received massive bills through the post."