April 24, 2014 - Three Lloyds Bank employees installed devices on colleagues' computers to gain remote access to systems and steal more than £2 million, the Old Bailey has heard.

According to the Oxford Mail, Tai Hulbert-Thomas, Neil Bautista and Mawli Thurairajah are accused of placing "USB mouse, keyboard and mass storage" devices on computers in three Halifax branches.

"The device allowed remote access into the secure banking systems that led to fraudulent transfers being made by the criminal group, causing significant loss to the bank," prosecutor James Thacker told the court.

Between them, the three men are accused of making transfers of just over £2 million between July and September 2012, although the loss to the bank was only £440,000.

The scam was uncovered when the manager of one of the affected Halifax branches flagged a suspicious transaction and an internal investigation discovered the rogue hardware.

The three men are charged with making fraudulent payments. They deny the charges. The trial continues.

The case echoes recent attacks on Barclays and Santander. Last month members of a criminal gang were found guilty of attaching keyboard video mouse devices to branch computers so that they could remotely control accounts and steal £1.25 million.

Today, nine members of that gang were sentenced to a total of 24 years and nine months imprisonment.