Walsall man jailed for conning elderly people out of £100,000
The fraudster tricked his victims into thinking their banks had been compromised and they needed to hand over their cards
A Walsall fraudster who preyed on vulnerable elderly people to steal more than £100,000 by pretending to be bank or law enforcement officials has been jailed.
Abdirahman Yalahow, also known as Abdi Rahman, phoned his victims claiming their bank accounts had been compromised, and that he needed their help as there had been fraudulent activity on their accounts.
The 29-year-old convinced his victims to leave their bank cards available for a courier to collect or they passed them over in person, having already provided their security details whilst on the phone calls.
The cards were then used to buy expensive goods as well as withdraw money until the accounts had been drained.
Over £100,000 was taken from eight victims, between August and December last year (2024).
Officers carried out searches at two addresses where electronics including phones were recovered.
In August when Yalahow appeared at Birmingham Crown Court he admitted the charge of conspiracy to defraud and last Monday (22nd Dec) Yalahow, of Yew Tree Road, Walsall, was sentenced to six years and six months jail.
Det Sgt Angela Warren-Smith, from West Midlands Police's economic crime unit, said: "Yalahow spent hours on the phone to victims to convince them with elaborate stories, reassure them and build their trust, resulting in them handing over their personal information and bank cards.
"He had no regard for their wellbeing and saw them merely as pots of cash to be emptied.
"We know that courier fraud is becoming an increasingly common offence, with offenders impersonating figures of authority, including police officers and bank staff, to demand money or details about bank accounts.
"I'd ask that anyone who has an elderly or vulnerable relative or friend to have a chat with them about crimes like these and make sure they're alert when they answer their phone to someone they don't know."
If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
If you ever feel at immediate risk or suspect that a fraudster may be heading to your home now, dial 999 and report it to the police right away.