Man, 23, found guilty of defrauding elderly woman

A 23-year-old man has been found guilty of fraud following a four-day trial at Northampton Crown Court.

On August 5, 2020, an elderly woman from Flore received a phone call from a man who stated that he worked for the “Serious Investigation Unit” in London and wanted her to know that her bank card had been compromised.

He persuaded her that she needed to empty her bank account as part of the investigation and that he would send an officer to collect the cash from her.

A time and a location was arranged for collection however thankfully, a family member alerted Northamptonshire Police to the suspicious request and genuine police officers were able to intercept the man who came to collect the cash from the elderly woman.

He was Mohammed Rahman, previously of Gillden Crescent, London, and he was subsequently arrested and charged with one count of fraud by false representation.

Despite pleading not guilty to the offence, he was found guilty by a jury at Northampton Crown Court last month (October 12).

Lead Investigator – Detective Constable Dave Scarth said: “This conviction is particularly satisfying because it relied on circumstantial evidence to secure the charges – evidence which was so overwhelming that it only took the jury one hour and 20 minutes to find Rahman guilty.

“I hope therefore that this case is a lesson to other fraudsters that even if you think that you’ve taken steps to ensure there will be no direct evidence leading to you, Northamptonshire Police will investigate meticulously in order to secure a conviction.

“Courier fraud takes advantage of vulnerable people and we will do everything in our power in this Force to bring the offenders to justice.”

Rahman will be sentenced as Northampton Crown Court on November 20, 2023.

Look out for courier fraud

• Courier fraud usually starts with an unsolicited telephone call to the victim

• Typically, the suspect will pose as a bank official, police officer or a computer or utility engineer

• Courier fraudsters will usually request the victim purchases high value items such as Rolex watches and gold bullion, withdraws cash or provides a bank card for collection by a courier

• Fraudsters will instruct victims not to tell any family or friends about what they are doing

• When carrying out courier fraud, criminals will request the victim hangs up the phone to ring their bank for confirmation while keeping the line open. The suspect then purports to be bank official and provides false confirmation

• Fraudsters will also plan for a courier meet the victim to collect the item they have purchased

If you think you have been a victim of fraud you should report it to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

It’s also important to report all fraud-related incidents to Action Fraud to help build a national picture and help prevent others falling victim to scams.