Three members of an organised crime group who posed as police officers to defraud vulnerable individuals out of thousands of pounds have been jailed following a sentencing at Carlisle Crown Court.
The trio—Bilal Akhther, 40, Luliana Nicolae, 24, and Muhammed Shahzeb, 20—were convicted of conspiracy to steal after taking part in a “sophisticated” courier fraud scam. The fraud targeted victims across Cumbria in September, duping four individuals into handing over more than £46,000, with over half of that total ending up in the criminals’ hands.
Akhther and Nicolae, both of no fixed abode, were sentenced to three years and one month, and seven months, respectively. Shahzeb, of Stenson Road, Derby, received a two-year sentence and was additionally convicted for possessing a shotgun without a certificate.
Operating primarily out of London, the fraud ring made cold calls to landlines, falsely identifying themselves as police officers investigating fraudulent transactions on victims’ bank cards. Victims were instructed to call 999 to verify the caller’s identity—but the original call was never disconnected, allowing accomplices to maintain the deception.
The fraudsters manipulated their victims into isolating themselves from loved ones, convincing them to withdraw and hand over large sums of cash. In one disturbing case, a victim was coerced into surrendering their firearms and firearms licence.
While four people handed over money, Cumbria Police identified another four targets who were either not convinced or were intercepted before suffering losses.
Akhther and Nicolae were arrested on September 25 when police stopped their vehicle shortly after visiting one of the victims. Shahzeb was arrested the following day in Derbyshire.
Detective Inspector Jamie Eaton from Cumbria Police’s Economic Crime Unit said the fraudsters’ “convincing nature” played a significant role in the scam’s effectiveness. He urged the public to remain cautious:
“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.”
He encouraged anyone receiving suspicious calls to hang up and contact police using a different phone line.
