Issa Mahmood, 19, of Fairfield Road, Ilford, has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years for a series of thefts, which took place between September 2013 and August 2014.
An investigation by the British Transport Police found that Mahmood, along with his accomplice, targeted elderly people and tourists, stealing a total of three bank cards and £1893.60 in cash.
One of them would approach the victim just before they were about to withdraw their cash with a false story about the machine being broken, while the other took the money.
Mahmood was arrested in Notting Hill Gate on August 30 along with his accomplice, 29-year-old Mohammed Naaim of Carlyle Road, Manor Park.
Often the victims didn’t realise what had happened and genuinely believed the machine was broken.
Mahmood and Naaim were sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court on February 13 and each given 12 months for assaulting a police officer, 12 months for theft and six months for an attempted theft.
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