A CONMAN who impersonated a police officer to trick a Rugby pensioner out of more than £3,000 has been jailed for two years and 21 months for fraud by false representation.
Mohammed Shahid, 37 from Holsworthy Square, London, was jailed at Leeds Crown Court on Monday (March 3).
Last August, a man in his 80s from the Rugby area was contacted by someone claiming to be a Metropolitan Police officer. They asked the victim to withdraw cash from their local branch to assist an investigation into a member of staff at the bank.
Shahid proceeded to defraud the victim out of more than £3,000 in cash. The victim contacted Warwickshire Police for assistance after a second call of the same nature was made to him.
When Shahid was identified, €3,955 were found inside his vehicle, found to have been taken from another victim in Norfolk under the same circumstances.
Shahid was charged and sentenced for both offences, along with a similar case in 2023 led by West Yorkshire Police.
Following the investigation, investigating officer Det Cons Harry Clay from Warwickshire Police’s Fraud and Cyber Crime team said: “These offences have had a lasting financial and emotional impact on his victims.
“Courier fraud is intrusive as it targets victims in their home, causing them to feel unsafe in the place they should feel most comfortable. It’s also an example of how convincing these despicable fraudsters can be, often putting pressure on victims to follow instructions.
“It’s really important people are alert to these types of offences and share this advice with friends and family. The police or your bank will never contact you out of the blue and ask you to move money or hand cash or bank cards to a courier. If they do, it is a scam – hang up and report it immediately.”
Visit https://tinyurl.com/ytbd8hp6 for more police advice about fraud.
