A scam artist who raided savings accounts, netting himself at least hundreds of thousands of pounds and robbing people of their life savings, was ordered to pay £31,704 compensation when he appeared before Croydon Crown Court on Thursday October 9.

The man was sentenced after financial investigators from Sutton police pursued a compensation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Joseph Ogbogbor, 30, of Lea Bridge Road, Lea Valley,  was ordered to pay the amount, valued at £163,150 although the total that may be realised was £31,704, as the court ruled on his general criminal conduct and criminal lifestyle.

He has been given six months to repay the order.

This is in relation to the April sentencing of Ogbogbor when he was given five years imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud Santander bank, money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act, and using another person's passport as ID to try and leave the country through Heathrow Airport.

He was sentenced to three years and nine months concurrent on the first two charges and 15 months consecutive on the third.

A spokesman for Sutton police said the fraud involved withdrawing money from longer-term, higher-interest, Cahoot bank accounts over a period of 24 months to April 2012 with customers losing between £1,000 and £50,000 each.

Should Ogbogbor fail to pay the compensation order he will serve a further 14 months in jail.