Yahoo News Married security guard conned woman out of life savings in ‘romance fraud’
A married security guard who duped a woman out of her life savings in a romance scam has been jailed for three years.
Qaiser Saeed, 40, pretended to be single when he met the 39-year-old victim through a dating app, and claimed to be a business owner who had run into financial difficulties.
As their romance blossomed, Qaiser said he had fallen victim to a fraud and his bank account had been frozen, in order to persuade the woman to lend him money.
She handed over a total of £47,650, believing she was helping Saeed to pay his employees’ wages and all her savings would ultimately be repaid.
But in reality the conman was married with children and working as a security guard.
He befriended the woman in May 2013 and was arrested on suspicion of fraud a year later, the Met Police said.
But just days after being freed on bail as the criminal investigation unfolded, Saeed fled to Pakistan.
He remained on the run for five years until, in September 2019, he tried to re-enter the UK on a student visa and was arrested at Heathrow airport.
Saeed denied fraud by false representation but was convicted by a jury, and was sentenced at Isleworth crown court on Tuesday to three years in prison.
“Qaiser Saeed willfully deceived the victim telling lie upon lie in order to deceive her into parting with her money”, said Detective Sergeant James Harbour.
"Scammers such as Saeed are skilled liars who weave a complex web of falsehoods in order to manipulate vulnerable or trusting people, playing on their emotions before taking their money under false pretences.”
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