A brazen fraudster who stole more than £100,000 from vulnerable elderly people by pretending to be a police officer has been sentenced to six years and six months behind bars.
The Elaborate Courier Fraud Scam
Abdirahman Yalahow, 29, from Walsall, carried out a series of sophisticated scams between August and December 2024. He would contact his victims by phone, claiming to be a police officer or bank official, and tell them that criminals had obtained their bank details.
Yalahow, who also used the name Abdi Rahman, spent hours on calls building trust with his targets. He used elaborate stories to convince eight elderly victims to hand over their bank cards, either to a courier or directly to him in person.
Having already obtained their security details over the phone, he then proceeded to empty their bank accounts. The stolen money, totalling £100,000, was lavished on what the court described as 'expensive goods'.
Police Investigation and Sentencing
West Midlands Police arrested Yalahow after searching two addresses where they found incriminating evidence on electronic devices. He admitted to a charge of conspiracy to defraud in August 2025 and was sentenced on Monday, December 22, 2025.
Detective Sergeant Angela Warren-Smith of West Midlands Police 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.’
A Warning on Rising Courier Fraud
Det Sgt Warren-Smith issued a stark warning about the growing threat of this type of crime. ‘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.’
She urged the public to help protect vulnerable relatives and friends. ‘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.’
The sentencing follows another recent case where a romance scammer was jailed for 17 years after swindling single mothers he met on dating apps.
