Stroud woman lost more than £1m in gold after fraudster posed as police detective

A London man who posed as a police detective and persuaded a woman in Gloucestershire to buy more than £1 million worth of gold bullion has been jailed for eight years.

Foysol Ahmed, 37, of Mackenzie Road, London, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court after an investigation by Gloucestershire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit and Criminal Investigation Department.

Ahmed will also face a future Proceeds of Crime Act hearing and an application for a Criminal Behaviour Order. He admitted five fraud offences involving false representations, including imitating a police officer and intending to cause loss or expose the victim to the risk of loss.

How the courier fraud scam worked

The offending took place between 31 October 2025 and 28 April 2026. It began when the woman received a call from someone claiming to work for her bank, who alleged that fraudulent activity had been detected on her account.

Almost immediately afterwards, another caller claimed to be a police officer from a London fraud investigation team. The caller told the woman the investigation was highly secret and asked her to help officers investigate a London gold bullion company allegedly selling fake gold.

The woman was instructed to buy gold, which she was told would be collected and used as evidence. Over the following months, Ahmed allegedly made a large number of calls from different telephone numbers and devices. The calls were made using withheld numbers, and he used the name Detective Inspector Walden.

Ahmed called the woman daily to ask about her welfare, talk about her day and build her trust. He sometimes called several times in one day, particularly when asking her to buy gold. On some occasions, the purchases were made while she was still on the telephone or shortly after the call ended.

He also advised her to take out a £700,000 loan, but she refused.

Police investigation and arrest

The fraud continued for several months. On 30 March 2026, the woman told her financial adviser what had been happening and then contacted police.

The following day, while Gloucestershire Police officers were with her, Ahmed called again. The woman had already told officers that he had called earlier that morning and that she wanted her money back so she could buy a house.

During the call, Ahmed said he would look into buying a property for her using her money, placing it in “their” name to keep it safe because she was supposedly involved in a major police investigation. He told her she could not buy a property in her own name.

On 27 April, surveillance officers observed Ahmed in London apparently making a call on a dark-coloured Nokia phone. The call lasted about 14 minutes, followed by another brief call. The woman told police she had received a call at exactly that time.

Ahmed was arrested later that day by Gloucestershire Police officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, who had travelled to London to observe his activity. His phone was seized and examined. Call data confirmed that calls received by the woman had been made using the same telephone number and device, identified through its IMEI, as the phone seized from Ahmed.

Ahmed was charged with five counts of fraud by false representation. He pleaded guilty to three counts in June and was due to stand trial on the remaining two in January 2027. In September, he admitted the outstanding offences as well.

Victim describes lasting impact

The woman gave a video-recorded interview describing the physical and mental effect of the fraud. Her statement was played in court.

“It’s hard to put together exactly how I feel because the feelings are so diverse, so we go from absolute sadness because my husband died and I was more vulnerable at that point in time, and that’s where the vulnerabilities came from and how they managed to scam me.”

“Other feelings, quite honestly, I planned to take my life twice because I thought what’s the point? What is the point of carrying on? Because of the money they’ve taken from me I’ve had to reconsider my future going forward and be a little more careful about how I spend my money.”

She said her life had been ruined and described every day as a struggle. She also expressed anger that Ahmed might eventually benefit from the proceeds of the crime.

Detective Inspector Matt Dill, of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said the case showed how offenders deliberately target vulnerable people and cause harm beyond financial loss.

“This type of fraud demonstrates a complete lack of conscience, with offenders deliberately targeting some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.”

He said Ahmed had communicated directly with the victim and had made similar calls to people across the country from what he believed was the relative anonymity of a London laundrette. Other members of the criminal network, he said, collected and laundered the proceeds as part of a coordinated fraud.

Police urged residents to talk to friends, relatives and neighbours about fraud warning signs. Officers said a police officer will never ask anyone to buy goods, withdraw cash or hand over bank cards, PINs or valuables.

Anyone who is unsure about a request should stop and seek advice from someone they trust, visit a local police station or call 101. Further information is available from Gloucestershire Constabulary and Report Fraud.