Rohith-Reddy Kananala, 28, has been sentenced to one year in jail for scamming £30,000 from elderly pensioners by impersonating a fraud investigator. Targeting vulnerable seniors across Britain, Kananala convinced them that their banks had been compromised by criminals and urged them to send their life savings via Royal Mail special delivery to his Leicester home.
Posing as ‘William’ to receive the parcels, Kananala tricked eight pensioners aged between 79 and 88 during March. Police caught him at his residence wearing the same T-shirt seen in a video where he counted the stolen cash. Authorities also seized £3,000 from his home.
Senior Criminal Finances Manager Graham Prince of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit highlighted how the scam preyed on the victims’ trust and caused emotional harm beyond the financial loss. He warned the public that legitimate agencies will never ask for cash to be withdrawn and sent by mail.
Kananala pleaded guilty to possession and attempted possession of criminal property. Police are now pursuing recovery of the stolen funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).
