A man from London, Qays Aktar, has been jailed for more than five years for his part in a courier fraud network that swindled vulnerable and elderly people out of over £100,000. Aktar, 30, from Wembley, used temporary call centres in London and Norwich to target victims by pretending to be a police officer investigating banking fraud.
He would cold call people, particularly those in Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Dorset, and Hampshire, and convince them to hand over cash as part of his fake investigation. An investigation launched in November 2024, following over 100 reports, led to his arrest and the seizure of digital devices containing evidence of his criminal coordination.
Aktar pleaded guilty to eight counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and was sentenced to five years and one month in prison at Norwich Crown Court. Eight victims, aged 65 to 83, lost a combined £100,000 in the scam. Authorities are working to recover assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act to compensate the victims.
Detective Inspector Mhairi Shurmer of the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) warned the public that a police officer or bank employee will never ask you to hand over cash. If you receive such a request, you should hang up and contact the police immediately.