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Two Fraudsters Posing as Police Officers Jailed for Scamming Elderly Victims

Gloucester Crown Court sentenced Mohammed Zaman Ahmed, 26, and Kawsar Ahmed, 25, to a combined total of over seven years in jail on Tuesday, December 19th. The pair, who pretended to be police officers, targeted elderly individuals and extorted over £400,000 from them through fraudulent means.

The two defendants were part of an organized criminal gang that operated from various offices in London, but their scams spanned across different regions, including Gloucestershire, where they made over 7,500 calls to potential victims.

Once they established contact with their victims, the fraudsters would pose as police officers and falsely claim to be conducting a fraud investigation into counterfeit currency. They convinced the victims that their bank accounts were implicated in the illegal activities and coerced them into withdrawing money and handing it over to a fake “courier” dispatched by the “police”.

To lend credibility to their scheme, the gang enlisted the help of others within their network, who impersonated senior police officers or bank officials during authenticity checks.

As part of their modus operandi, the fraudsters arranged for taxis to transport the often elderly victims to their banks, where they would withdraw the requested amounts of cash.

The gang deliberately instilled fear by suggesting that bank staff or local police might be involved in the counterfeit currency offenses. They coached the victims on how to respond to any inquiries, further manipulating them for their own gain.

Ultimately, the criminals managed to defraud a total of £430,452 from their victims.

Kevin Hansford, representing the Crown Prosecution Service, commented on the sentencing, saying, “These two fraudsters convincingly presented themselves to victims, securing the trust of hundreds of elderly people through their lies. The sole purpose of this criminal activity was to enrich themselves at the expense of vulnerable individuals who relied on their hard-earned savings and pension income.”

Hansford extended gratitude to the victims who supported the prosecution and acknowledged the diligent efforts of Gloucestershire and Hertfordshire Police in facilitating the case against the heartless gang.

Gloucestershire Police’s Detective Inspector Matt Phillips expressed satisfaction with the conviction, stating, “We’re pleased that these men have now been sentenced for the misery they caused so many vulnerable and elderly people. This result is testimony to the immense hard work from many officers at Gloucestershire Constabulary, who went above and beyond to ensure that we could show just how low these men were willing to stoop.”

Phillips also sent a clear message to other criminal gangs, emphasizing that law enforcement agencies would actively pursue them for their crimes, not only in Gloucestershire but anywhere in the country.

The detective inspector concluded, “I hope that this sentence will bring some peace to the men and women they targeted.”

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