Macmillan Cancer Support has secured a private prosecution against a pair of brothers who oversaw a raft of fraudulent claims worth more than £22,000 in grants from the charity.
Moses Kellie, 44, and his brother Elijah, 43, admitted acquiring criminal property in a prosecution brought by the charity.
Elijah Kellie operated 45 bank accounts which received more than £16,780 in grants from the charity, while his brother had 14 accounts which received £5,235, Southwark Crown Court heard last week.
The brothers were helped by Nobuhle Khanyile, 46, and Nadege Kehi, 42.
The group, from London, was linked to 117 bank accounts which received grant money from the charity between July 2021 and October 2022.
It oversaw hundreds of telephone calls made to the charity by people pretending to have various forms of cancer in order to secure grant support, the court was told.
Elijah Kellie was given a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
His brother received an 18-month community order and the two women were each given 12-month community orders.
The charity was forced to temporarily halt the payment of grants to all applicants, the court heard.
It has recovered all the money received by the group.
Macmillan has brought more than 35 private prosecutions over the past six years, many relating to people failing to pass on funds raised in the charity’s name.
Karen Watson, chief finance and operations officer at Macmillan, said: “We welcome this sentencing and hope it serves as a reminder that incidents of fraud, although rare, are taken extremely seriously.
“It is of utmost importance that the public have confidence that the money they raise and donate is going to help people living with cancer, and we will continue to take action against any wrongdoing.
“The trust of our supporters is vital and we remain grateful to everyone who raises money for Macmillan, allowing us to continue to do whatever it takes for people living with cancer.”