A court has been told how three men took part in a £600,000 fraud scheme that targeted almost 60 pensioners.
Ahsan Shahid and his associates posed as police officers or bank investigators. They told victims their accounts were at risk from scammers, then persuaded them to hand over cash and goods.
The goods included Rolex watches, designer clothes, Apple products and an electric motorcycle.
Shahid, 41, appeared alongside Sean Singh, 21, and Duncan Currie, 42, at the High Court in Glasgow, where a 63-page written account was read to the court.
All three had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiring with one another and other unnamed individuals in what prosecutors described as “fraudulent schemes”.
Shahid, whose brother Imran is serving a minimum of 25 years for the murder of Glasgow teenager Kriss Donald in 2004, admitted 31 charges. Singh pleaded guilty to 18 and Currie to 10.
The offences were among a 69-page indictment. They took place mainly across Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire, Dunbartonshire and Ayrshire between October 2022 and November 2024.
The court heard that the offences came to light during Police Scotland’s Operation Hatpin.
The group obtained counterfeit documents, including a passport and driving licences. They also created fake identification to pose as officers from Police Scotland, the Metropolitan Police and West Yorkshire Police, and obtained false NHS documents.
They acquired mobile phones and computers, hired cars and rented a “hub” in East Kilbride using a counterfeit passport.
The group obtained lists of phone numbers and prepared scripts to use when calling victims. They bought “bespoke” office software that allowed calls to be forwarded and recorded. It also allowed them to use 0800 numbers, making the calls appear legitimate.
The court heard that 376 calls were made between September 2021 and December 2023.
The group also researched taxi companies and currency exchanges near their targets. Victims were made to pay for taxis to take them to withdraw money.
Prosecutor Scott McKenzie said: “The modus operandi of the group was to initiate contact with intended victims by telephone, while pretending to be a police officer, bank fraud investigator or fraud department staff.
“The caller would explain to the victim that there had been alleged misuse of their cards or bank account.
“Many victims were provided with bogus phone numbers to verify the alleged fraud.
“The numbers would re-route to the group, or their associates, who used similar aliases within the calls.
“The victims were then persuaded to assist in alleged ‘investigation’ or ‘stings’ into suspected bank employees, or currency exchange employees, who were portrayed as fraudsters.
“The victims would be encouraged to withdraw substantial amounts of cash, or to purchase large amounts of euros before handing it over to couriers who posed as bank employees or police.”
Mr McKenzie said other victims were persuaded to transfer money to accounts controlled by others or buy high-value items, including Rolex watches and gold bullion.
Some were told their bank cards had been compromised and needed to be cancelled and replaced. The cards were then used to obtain cash or buy luxury clothing, Apple devices and an electric motorcycle.
Some victims were told to stay on the phone during transactions and not to tell friends, family or police about the supposed investigations.
The frauds were discovered when victims became suspicious or sought advice from bank staff or relatives.
A 77-year-old woman was told police were investigating suspicious activity on her account. She was persuaded to provide personal details.
A caller claiming to be a fraud investigator named “Kyle” contacted her repeatedly. Singh went to her home five or six times to collect money, goods and paperwork.
Someone from the group asked about buying a £45,000 watch from Tom Coll jewellery shop in Glasgow’s Argyle Arcade while pretending to be the woman’s son. A sales assistant later spoke to the woman and asked about her “son”. She said she did not have one.
Mr McKenzie said: “The sales assistant formed the impression that she appeared stressed and under pressure.”
The group later persuaded the woman to pay for a £16,500 GMT Master II Batman Rolex, which was collected from her home.
Mr McKenzie said: “The staff recall her receiving calls on her mobile phone and appearing stressed. She could not tell them why she was buying the watch.”
Shahid and Singh also tried to order £30,000 of gold bullion in her name and exchange £10,000 for cryptocurrency. Paperwork handled by the courier was later found to have Singh’s fingerprints on it.
An 80-year-old woman was told to put her mobile phone, bank cards and PINs in an envelope for someone from her “bank” to collect. A £21,000 loan was taken out in her name.
Her money was used at Braehead Shopping Centre. The purchases included £10,240 at the Apple Store, £1,600 at Flannels and £1,760 of electrical goods at Currys.
A 78-year-old man was told he was being watched on CCTV as he entered a bank and that he “risked compromising the investigation.”
In another incident, Shahid told an 83-year-old man that a bank teller who had served him had followed him outside. The man was told to go to a McDonald’s in Balloch, West Dunbartonshire, and hand €4,000 to someone supposedly from his bank.
His mobile phone was taken as “evidence” and was not returned. He was told not to contact police.
His bank cards were then used in several places, including to buy a £4,895 electric motorcycle from Portman Motors in Glasgow’s Kinning Park. The court heard that Shahid called him 80 times between 15th and 17th October 2024.
An 80-year-old woman had cash collected by a man wearing a face mask.
When an 84-year-old man became suspicious of a call, he was told: “What will be productive is when you get slashed, f*** off.”
A 73-year-old woman was contacted by someone posing as a police constable. She was told that a Nigerian woman had her bank account and driving licence details.
The group persuaded her to withdraw cash as part of the supposed investigation. They later asked her to help with “one last piece of the puzzle” by transferring £10,000 to an account controlled by others, but the transaction was refused.
A 76-year-old woman was told to go to a fictional “St Enoch police office” to give a statement. She was also told she was being watched on CCTV.
An 88-year-old woman was asked by a caller to take part in a “role play”. Her daughter told the caller that her mother had a bad heart and did not want her to become “stressed” by an investigation.
The mother and daughter were nevertheless persuaded to withdraw £6,000 and keep the supposed investigation a “secret”. Currie collected the money while apparently carrying a Royal Bank of Scotland ID card.
An 83-year-old woman was instructed by Shahid to buy a Rolex Daytona watch worth £18,450 from Chisholm Hunter. She was told to say it was for her son’s birthday.
Mr McKenzie said: “That evening, the courier collected the Rolex and replaced her house phone with another, stating hers had a virus.”
The court was also told that Shahid made numerous calls to a woman from whom he obtained £11,500 in cash and €4,000. One call lasted almost two hours.
Not guilty pleas were accepted to a number of other charges involving the three men.
The court heard that Singh was working as a waiter when he was arrested. He has one previous conviction for attempting to pervert the course of justice, for which he received a £360 fine.
Shahid was unemployed and receiving benefits when he was arrested. He was jailed for 27 months in July 2025 for assault to severe injury and permanent impairment.
Currie was also unemployed and receiving benefits. His previous convictions include crimes of dishonesty and violence.
The court heard that a 12-week trial had been expected if the three men had not pleaded guilty.
Lord Renucci deferred sentencing and consideration of serious crime prevention orders until November, pending background reports.