Two London men have been sentenced for a series of elaborate frauds targeting elderly victims, stealing over £550,000.
Zayd Saheb, 25, of Somerleyton Road, was sentenced to nine years in prison, while Zakariye Mohamed, 24, of Elms Crescent, received a 14-month suspended sentence at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday.
Both men pleaded guilty to their charges.
Deception and Theft Targeting the Elderly
The first incident occurred in Diss on October 24, 2023, when a woman in her 70s received a call from fraudsters posing as police officers. They claimed her family member had been arrested with £4,000 and convinced her and her husband to withdraw £8,000 from their accounts.
A fake officer later visited their home under the guise of recording the serial numbers but instead stole the cash from their dining table. The money was never recovered.
The second case, in Southwold in mid-November 2023, involved a woman in her 80s, who was tricked into handing over her bank cards and PINs over two weeks. The scammers withdrew £37,000, transferred £210,400 for gold bars, and attempted another gold purchase of £316,000.
The victim’s daughter eventually noticed suspicious transactions and alerted the police.
Arrests and Sentencing
Police intervened on November 28, arresting Saheb when he arrived to collect the gold. Mohamed was later linked to the Diss fraud through mobile phone evidence found in Saheb’s possession.
Detective Constable Dan Steel of Suffolk Police stated:
“Courier fraud is a cruel and despicable crime that preys on elderly and vulnerable people. Saheb and Mohamed exploited their victims’ trust for financial gain.”
Authorities continue to urge the public to be cautious of fraudsters impersonating officials and to report any suspicious activity immediately.
