By Connor Gordon
Michael Sajid, a 38-year-old supermarket worker, was sentenced to complete 300 hours of unpaid community service for his involvement in a £316,000 gold bullion scam. The case centers around an 84-year-old woman who was allegedly tricked into sending packages containing gold bullion, after being misled by con artists.
Sajid received a package linked to the scam, but he insisted to police that he was unaware of any gold transactions and was busy working shifts at Lidl during the delivery times. He was found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court for possessing “criminal property,” specifically a gold bar weighing over one kilogram, on June 10, 2020. Although he initially faced seven charges, two were dropped during the trial, and the jury did not find him proven on the remaining counts.
The court learned that the elderly victim had made three separate purchases of gold bullion, totaling seven bars, between May 28 and July 2, 2020. The total value reached £316,272. Over this period, she sent six packages via Royal Mail special delivery to a Glasgow flat where Sajid was residing since October 2019.
The con began when the pensioner received a call from an individual named Simon Fraser, who falsely claimed to be from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). He told her that her bank account was under investigation for a fraudulent Amazon purchase and advised her to transfer her investments. Subsequently, she was instructed to buy gold bullion from a woman in the Isle of Man as part of the supposed investigation.
Feeling genuine concern, the woman complied and sent several packages to Sajid’s address, believing she was helping resolve the fraud case. She later realized something was amiss when asked to involve her sister and subsequently contacted her bank and the police.
When questioned, Sajid claimed he had no involvement, expressing sympathy for the elderly victim but maintaining he had no knowledge of the packages. His home was searched by police in August 2021, but no incriminating evidence was found.
During the sentencing, Sheriff Barry Divers emphasized the seriousness of the offense but opted for a community payback order instead of imprisonment. Sajid was also fitted with an electronic tag, restricting his movements during specific hours. The sheriff warned that failure to comply could result in prison time.
Sajid’s defense attorney, Frank McAuley, argued that his client was not the mastermind behind the fraudulent scheme.
