Man jailed after he posed as police officer and convinced woman into buying over £1m of gold

A man has been jailed after he posed as a police officer and convinced a woman into buying over £1 million pounds worth of gold bullions.

Foysol Ahmed, aged 37 and of Mackenzie Road in London, appeared at Gloucester Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 5 November).

Following an investigation by Gloucestershire Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit and Criminal Investigation Department, His Honour Judge Ian Lawrie sentenced Ahmed to eight years in prison.

As well as being jailed Ahmed will also be subject of a future Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing and Criminal Behaviour Order application.

The court heard how Ahmed imitated a police officer and targeted the woman between 31 October 2025 and 28 April 2026.

Police became aware of Ahmed's offending after receiving a call from the victim in Gloucestershire to say that she had been targeted in a courier fraud scam. 

The woman had been called by someone claiming to be a bank employee who said that there had been fraudulent activity on her account and that the police would be in touch.

She received a call almost immediately from an unknown woman who stated they were a police officer from the fraud investigation team in London.

The scammer asked the victim if she would be willing to assist the police with an investigation, and she stated it was a very secret investigation that not many people knew about, but that the victim would be a huge help if she was willing to assist.

The victim agreed and was then told that police were investigating a gold bullion company in London which was selling fake gold and that she would need to purchase some gold, which would be collected and used as evidence.

Over the following months, and up until 11.44am on the day of his arrest, Ahmed is believed to have made a vast number of calls to the woman from numerous telephone numbers on various devices, always with a withheld number, stating his name as Detective Inspector Walden.

Ahmed would call daily checking on the woman's welfare, asking about her day, befriending her and gaining her trust.

Ahmed would sometimes make multiple calls in one day, often on the days that he was requesting the victim to purchase gold. On occasion, the gold was purchased whilst she remained on the phone or very soon after getting off the phone.

On one occasion Ahmed advised the woman to take out a loan for £700,000 however she refused.

This continued for several months and on 30 March this year (2026), the woman had a meeting with her financial advisor and told them what had been happening. She then contacted police.

A day later, whilst Gloucestershire Police officers were sat with the woman, she received a phone call from Ahmed. She had already mentioned to officers that he had called earlier in the morning and she had told him she wanted her money back to buy a house.

During this phone call Ahmed said he would look into purchasing a house for her with her money in "their" name, so as to keep her safe because she was involved in a big police investigation. He told her she could not buy a property in her own name, as it would not be safe to do so.

Police enquiries continued and on 27 April Ahmed was observed by surveillance officers and appeared to be making a phone call on a dark coloured Nokia phone. The call lasted around 14 minutes before it was ended, with another quick call being made shortly afterwards.

The woman informed police on the same date that she had received a call at the exact time.

Ahmed was arrested later that day in London by Gloucestershire Police officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, as they had travelled there to observe his activity.

His mobile phone was seized for analysis work to take place and call data confirmed that the calls received by the woman were made using the same telephone number and device, identified via the IMEI, that was seized from Ahmed upon his arrest.

He was later charged with five counts of committing fraud by making a false representation, namely imitating a police officer, intending to cause loss to another or expose that person to risk of loss.

In June Ahmed pleaded guilty to three out of the five counts and was due to stand trial in January 2027, however in September he later admitted to the two outstanding counts.

The woman took part in a Video Recorded Interview and described how Ahmed's offending affected her both physically and mentally. This video was played in court.

She said: "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.

"My life has been ruined by these events and Ahmed will likely serve a short sentence and be released to enjoy the profits of his crime, that disgusts me. He may spend time in prison, but he'll get a share of that gold, his money, and that annoys me. 

"I'm so angry with them and in a way, I don't want him to think he's got under my skin but he’s well under my skin. He's that bad itch where you can rip your arm and scratch it until it bleeds. He gives me that feeling. It's like dirt and you want to wash yourself all the time because it's something that's disgusting.

"Every day is a struggle and every day I am trying to teach myself to let go, so we'll see what the future holds for me."

Detective Inspector Matt Dill from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit said: "This type of fraud demonstrates a complete lack of conscience, with offenders deliberately targeting some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

"The consequences for the victim have been devastating, not only in terms of financial loss but also the lasting emotional and psychological harm that has followed. Her impactful Victim Personal Statement is harrowing and shows just how much Ahmed's actions have changed her life.

"I would like to say how much I admire the victim for her strength, courage and bravery in telling us what had happened and supporting our investigation to help secure justice.

"Ahmed played a key role in this offending, communicating directly with victim and making similar calls to individuals across the country from what he believed was the relative anonymity of his London laundrette.

"Other members of the criminal network were responsible for collecting and laundering the proceeds, operating as part of a coordinated and well-rehearsed fraud.

"This conviction is the result of the tireless dedication, professionalism and investigative skill of my team, whose work has ensured that Ahmed has been brought to justice.

"While Ahmed now faces a custodial sentence, it remains vital that we continue to raise awareness of this type of crime. The most effective way to reduce harm is to prevent offences from occurring in the first place. These criminals are highly skilled and persuasive, and anyone can be targeted

"I would urge people to have conversations with friends, relatives and neighbours about the warning signs of fraud, and to report any concerns to the police.

"Remember, a police officer will never ask you to purchase goods, withdraw cash, or hand over bank cards, PINs or valuables.

"If you are ever unsure, stop and seek advice from someone you trust, visit your local police station, or call 101 for guidance."

For further advice on keeping yourself safe from fraud, visit the Constabulary's website: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/

You can also find more information on Report Fraud’s website: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/