Bethnal Green man jailed for carrying out Camden courier fraud
Shaheedul Abedin has been jailed for a year. Picture credit: Met Police. - Credit: Archant
A man from Bethnal Green has been jailed for his role in a courier fraud where an elderly woman was conned into handing over cash.
Kawsar Ahmed, left, and Charlie Heath. Picture credit: Met Police. - Credit: Archant
Shaheedul Abedin, 20, of Pollard Street, teamed up with two other men to dupe the 78-year-old victim into giving them £250, her bank cards and her passport.
Blackfriars Crown Court heard Abedein, Charlie Heath, 23, from King’s Cross and 19-year-old Kawsar Ahmed, 19, from Sydenham Hill, took part in the scam where a fraudster would pose as a police officer and persuade the victim, who lived in Camden, to hand over the cash by claiming she was the victim of a bank fraud.
She was told to withdraw the cash and hand it to a ‘courier’ with her bank cards and her passport in June last year.
The cash was collected from the victim and Abedin was travelling in an Audi with a second person when a police car, which was on a unrelated call out, pulled up behind them and mistakenly believing the officers were about to arrest him Abedin fled on foot.
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After a pursuit Abedin was arrested and officers found a brown envelope dumped along the route he had used to try and escape.
The envelope had the Audi’s registration details written on it and inside the victim’s passport and bank cards as well as an A4 piece of paper with 45 names, addresses and contact numbers belonging to elderly residents in Camden.
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Heath worked for Camden Council and had drawn up a list of elderly vulnerable victims to target by accessing confidential files.
Investigators traced Heath as the source of the list and he was arrested a week later.
Ahmed was held after his fingerprints were found on contents in the envelope.
On Friday all three were convicted of possessing or supplying articles for use in fraud and jailed.
Abedin was sentenced to a year, Heath three years and Ahmed must serve 16 months.
Detective Constable Neil Pilgrim, investigating officer, said: “Courier fraud is a despicable act that usually takes advantage against the elderly or otherwise vulnerable victims. These three criminals will have the festive period to reflect on their actions.
“The Met’s advice about courier fraud is that the police and your bank will never ask for your PIN number or your bank cards. If you are called and asked for these items - hang up straight away.
“The police will never call you at home and ask you for money, whatever the reason.”
A fourth man was acquitted in court.
