Man who scammed elderly victims jailed after original sentence appealed

A man who used an elaborate smishing scam to con six elderly women out of more than £30,000 while he was under a suspended sentence for a similar offence, has now been jailed.

The result comes after a sentence originally given to him was appealed.

The scam of Mohammed Gulzar, who is from Birmingham, caused devastation for victims in Derbyshire, Warwickshire, West Mercia and Hampshire. 

An investigation by the Proactive Economic Crime Team based at the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, found Gulzar sent ‘smishing’ messages to the women - a type of cyberattack using deceptive texts which tricked them into surrendering sensitive data including their passwords and bank details.

The 26-year-old was arrested in July 2024, and in November 2025 was charged with conspiracy to defraud his six victims. 

He originally pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea at a hearing earlier this year.

Gulzar, of Nora Road, Birmingham, was given another suspended sentence - a decision which was appealed.

On Friday 18 September 2026, the case was heard at the Court of Appeal, and he was sentenced to four years and four months imprisonment.

Gulzar convinced the vulnerable victims he was their bank. He got their personal details, gained access to their accounts, and persuaded them to part with their physical bank cards, and PIN numbers.

He even sent an Uber to collect the victim's cards for onward use by him, whilst making them think he was the bank and was protecting their assets.

For one victim alone, an overdraft of almost £5000 had been spent, and a loan for £11,500 taken out.

In their victim impact statements, the women explained how they were left feeling shaken and upset, unsafe in their own homes, taken advantage of, and left treating everything with suspicion.

DI Richard Cornell, who oversees the EMSOU PECT team, said: "When we arrested Gulzar, he was soundly asleep in bed. He got up and the phone he used to contact his victims, along with his personal phone, were conveniently tucked underneath him and were quickly seized by the team.

"This is some of the worst offending I've seen in my career. Gulzar managed to get access to thousands of pounds, and continued to offend despite having previously been convicted for similar offences, and was under a suspended sentence when he scammed these women.

“This was the driving factor which made us work with the CPS to appeal the second suspended sentence he received earlier this year. It just wasn’t enough of a deterrent for him.

"I'm pleased the Judge has now given him a custodial sentence, meaning he will be unable to take advantage of vulnerable people. We will now be seeking to impose a confiscation order of £33,000 to help recover his ill-gotten-gains.”

Remember, your bank will never ask you to confirm your PIN number over the phone. If you suspect you are receiving a fraudulent call, hang up and call your bank from the number listed on their official website.