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Steve Kenton

Tottenham minicab controller jailed for dating site fraud

A Tottenham minicab controller who posed as a doctor so as to enable him to con a woman of £15,000 has been jailed.

37 year old Mohamad Yousef conned his unsuspecting victim after joining an online dating site.

Yousef, who lied about his age on the site, claimed to work in the medical profession at a London hospital, even sending his victim a photograph of himself wearing scrubs. However the photograph was in fact a picture of him taken when he did some voluntary work for Oxfam.

Wood Green Crown Court heard how Yousef had struck up the relationship with the 30 year old woman in May 2017, telling his victim that he was a doctor, and becoming engaged to her after a whirlwind romance.

He then told his victim that he was booking The Dochester Hotel in Mayfair for their wedding ceremony, conning her out of £15,800 in alleged payments toward their upcoming nuptials.

The fraudster convinced the woman to transfer £800 into his bank account, then following up with a request that she take out a loan of £15,000. However, upon the larger sum being transferred, Yousef then broke off all contact with the woman.

She then contacted the hospital where Yousef claimed to work, only to find they had no knowledge of him working there. Upon contacting the Dorchester Hotel, his victim also discovered that no booking had been made for the wedding.

The woman subsequently contacted the police and reported Yousef, who was arrested at Heathrow Airport in September 2017 after getting off a flight from Africa.

Upon investigation, police discovered that Yousef was not a doctor, but a mini-cab controller from Tottenham.

Yousef alleged that his victim took the loan out against his wishes but he still accepted the money when she willingly transferred it into his bank account, also claiming that he received in-excess of £14,000 but spending around £8,000 on medical treatment for his father.

Detective Sergeant Milan Pandya, said: “It is so important that anyone scammed by online fraudsters comes forward so that we can make a start in putting a stop to their activities. “Victims should absolutely not be embarrassed. These unscrupulous people are convincing and tenacious in their deceptions. “Please don’t hesitate to contact police if you have been a victim of this crime – at the very least contact us to ensure that you receive any support that you may need.”

Yousef was handed down an 18 month prison sentence after admitting fraud.

Image Source: MPS

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