Conman Targets Elderly in Nottinghamshire Taxi Scam
Arfan Choudry spent four months duping elderly victims in Basford, Wollaton, the Arboretum, and Forest Fields. Using sob stories about hospital stays and illness, he begged for cash to pay for taxi fares—promising to repay debts he never did.
£19 to £40 Stolen From Vulnerable Pensioners
Most victims were over 70, handing over between £19 and £40 to the fraudster. His scam ran from October 2022 to January 2023, preying on sympathy to line his pockets.
Operation Reacher Nab Conman in Forest Fields
Choudry, 49, homeless and on the run, was caught red-handed by plain-clothes cops from Operation Reacher on 3 February. He appeared at nottingham/" title="Nottingham" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 6 February, facing 10 fraud charges.
He got 24 weeks behind bars.
Police Praise Team Effort and Urge Victims to Speak Up
“Thanks to my team’s patience and stealth, we arrested Choudry without him realising we were hunting him,” said Radford City Operation Reacher Sergeant Mark Westlake. “This is exactly what Operation Reacher was set up for — to protect the community from predators like him.”
“No one should have their hard-earned cash stolen, especially vulnerable people. I want to thank the victims for their courage in coming forward and urge anyone suffering fraud to report it.”
To report fraud, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In emergencies, dial 999.
For cybercrime, visit www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
