A man who posed as a police detective has been jailed for eight years after tricking a vulnerable woman in Gloucestershire into buying more than £1m of gold bullion. Foysol Ahmed, 37, of Mackenzie Road in Islington, London, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday, 5 November 2026.
What Happened
Between 31 October 2025 and 28 April 2026, Ahmed repeatedly phoned the woman, who lives in Gloucestershire, calling himself Detective Inspector Walden from a fraud team. Police said he made a vast number of calls, sometimes several a day, from a range of phones.
The scam began with a call supposedly from her bank about fraud on her account. She was then told by a caller claiming to be from a London fraud team that she was helping with a “very secret investigation”. She was told a London gold bullion company was selling fake gold and that she should buy gold, which would be collected and used as evidence. The court heard she bought it a little at a time.
Sentence and Guilty Pleas
Ahmed admitted five counts of fraud by false representation. He pleaded guilty to three counts in June and admitted the other two in September. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. The gold has not been recovered.
Surveillance officers caught him calling the woman on one of his phones. He was arrested in London in April. He also advised her to take out a £700,000 loan, which she refused.
Background
Gloucestershire Police said Ahmed played a key role, speaking directly to the victim and making similar calls to people across the country. Other members of the network collected and laundered the proceeds, the force said.
Detective Inspector Matt Dill, who led the investigation, said the financial loss and lasting emotional harm had been devastating. He praised the victim for her courage in reporting the crime and supporting the investigation. In a recorded video statement, she said the money taken from her had forced her to reconsider her future and that every day was a struggle.
What Happens Next
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing and an application for a Criminal Behaviour Order are still to come, the court was told. Police have not yet identified the other suspects in the scam.
This is a developing story. Cheltenham Times will update this article if police or the courts release further details.
