Man sentenced for courier fraud ​

A man has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for fraud by false representation.

Mohammed Shahid, 37 from Holsworthy Square, London, appeared at Leeds Crown Court yesterday (Monday 3 March).

On 29 August last year, 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, 3955 euros were found inside his vehicle, found to have been taken from another victim in Norfolk under the same circumstances.

Shahid was charged and this this week sentenced for both offences along with a similar case in 2023 led by West Yorkshire Police.

Following the investigation, investigating officer Detective Constable Harry Clay from our 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.”

Courier fraud advice 

The police or your bank will never:

·        Contact you out of the blue and ask for your personal details, including your PIN number, password or account details

·        Ask you to transfer money into another account for fraud reasons

·        Ask you to withdraw cash and hand to someone for safe keeping

·        Ask you to purchase high value items such as gift cards

·        Send someone to your home to collect cash or other high value items, bank cards, account details or PIN numbers

Protect yourself:

·        If you are unsure whether someone on the phone is genuine, hang up and then use a different line to call the organisation they are purporting to be from using a number from the phonebook or internet to verify their identity

·        Don’t give out your personal information to anyone over the phone, including your PIN number and bank account or card details

·        If you have given out your personal banking details to someone over the phone or have given someone your card details, contact your bank immediately to cancel your card

Where to go for help:

·        If you receive a call from someone purporting to be a police officer and asking you to withdraw or transfer money, call Warwickshire Police on 101 – the more intelligence we receive, the more likely we are to catch those responsible

·        If you have been a victim of a telephone scam, please report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via their website: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

·        For advice on scams, contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133

·        Always call 999 in an emergency