Six men and five women have been convicted of laundering £600,000 which was scammed from elderly and vulnerable people including a victim in Dagenham.

The team allowed their bank accounts to be used by crooks who had duped their victims into handing over a total of £614,700.

In some cases the victims had lost their entire life savings.

The fraudsters struck around the country with victims being targeted in Dagenham, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Staffordshire, Sussex, Sheffield, Rugby, Southsea, West Bromwich, Northampton and Middlesex.

Julie Thompson, a financial investigator, from South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “This was long and complex investigation, with many of the offences dating back to 2014.

“Without the money launderers, who are prepared to knowingly allow their accounts to be used to launder the proceeds of crime, these abhorrent crimes would not happen.”

All 11 will be sentenced on January 8 January at Lewes Crown Court.