Three fraudsters who targeted vulnerable people in Cumbria were yesterday (May 13) jailed for their courier fraud scam in which they pretended to be police officers for money.
- Bilal Akhther, 40, of no fixed abode was charged with conspiring to steal from another was sentenced to three years one month.
- Luliana Nicolae, 24, of no fixed abode was charged with conspiring to steal from another was sentenced for seven months.
- Muhammed Shahzeb, 20, of Stenson Road, Derby was charged with conspiring to steal from another, theft – other – including theft by finding and possess shotgun without a certificate was sentenced to two years.
The sophisticated courier fraud scam began in London with the group placing multiple cold calls to landlines of people living in Cumbria. The calls were between 22 to 26 September 2024.
The fraudsters would identify themselves as a police officer and that they were investigating fraudulent activity on the victim’s bank card.
In the complex scam the victims found themselves in lengthy contact with the fraudsters who isolated the victims from family and friends, them into withdrawing thousands of pounds in cash.
There were four victims who withdrew over £46,000 with over half of that handed over to fraudsters. Another four victims were also identified who did not hand cash to the fraudsters.
During one incident on 23 September 2024 officers from Cumbria Police intercepted the victim before he was approached by the courier to hand over cash.
They also coerced one of the victims to handover his firearms and license.
On 25 September 2024, officers arrested Akhter and Nicolae when their vehicle was stopped driving from a victim’s address.
On 26 September 2024, officers arrested Shahzeb in Derbyshire.
A phone seized from Shahzeb found communication between Nicolae and Akhter. The phone was also in Carlisle at the time the victims meeting the couriers to hand over cash.
The investigation found the four were working together as part of an organised crime group targeting vulnerable individuals for their gain in a complex courier fraud scam.
Detective Inspector Jamie Eaton, from Cumbria Polices Economic Crime Unit said “This was a complex scam which seen the fraudsters gain the victims trust into believing they were police officers.
“To do this they encourage the victims to call 999 to verify their identity but unknowingly the fraudsters kept the line open and had another fraudster lined up to confirm their identity.
“Sadly, due to the convincing nature of these criminals’ victims have fallen for this scam.
“We would to take this opportunity to remind the public that police officers will never call you out of the blue requesting to meet to collect cash or ask you to transfer money to an account.
“I would urge anyone who received a call from someone claiming to be an officer and you are unsure if its genuine to hang up, and contact us on another phone to verify as fraudsters can say on the lines after you’ve hung up.”
What is courier fraud?
To carry it out, fraudsters often pretend to be officials such as police officers, HMRC officials or fraud teams from banks themselves.
They usually make contact through a phone call but the tactics they use can differ.
Fraudsters involved often request bank details, money to be sent electronically, cash to be withdrawn at the bank for collection or expensive items to be bought for collection.
Elderly or vulnerable people are often targeted, but as with all types of fraud anyone could be targeted, with those carrying out the frauds extremely persuasive, building up a position of trust.
How to protect yourself from courier fraud
Remember:
- Police officers and your bank will never call you out of the blue and request cash or personal information. They’ll never ask you to transfer money to another account, hand over cash or bank cards to a courier, or a pay a fine or fee over the phone.
- If an officer contacts you in person, they will show you their warrant card. This is proof of their identify and authority.
- If someone has called you and you are unsure if they are a genuine police officer, you can hang up and call police on 101 to check their identity.
- It’s recommended you hang up and use a different phone or ask a family member to report, as fraudsters will stay on the line after a victim has hung up and pretend to be a call handler when the victim rings the police.
If you think you have been the victim of a fraud you can report this to police on 101 and to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 – or by visiting their website at www.actionfraud.police.uk.
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