A ‘SLICK and ruthless’ fraudster who targeted elderly people has lost an appeal against his jail sentence.
Hassan Akhtar Qaumi defrauded elderly people living in Warwickshire and the West Midlands of nearly £36,000.
Qaumi, aged 29 of Lynton Avenue, Wolverhampton, used a list of names and addresses of people over the age of 60 to target potential victims.
He called at victims’ homes unexpectedly, claiming they needed new or replacement solar panels, radiators or boilers when in most cases they did not.
Payment would be taken up front for the products but he failed to supply them.
The thousands he stole was used to fund Qaumi’s extravagant lifestyle of eating out, gambling, clothes shopping and entertainment.
Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service investigated and prosecuted him after receiving complaints from consumers.
Qaumi, who was the sole director of HQ Energy Ltd pleaded guilty to 19 charges of fraud, theft and fraudulent trading at Warwick Crown Court last October .
He was jailed for four and a half years.
And on June 5 the Court of Appeal considered his sentence and judged it was correct.
Describing the effect on two of the victims, Judge Berlin said that one elderly lady had been ‘systematically defrauded leaving her in great distress and tears’.
Another elderly victim described as being ‘very vulnerable’ had panicked when he realised he could not pay his direct debits.
Warwickshire County Council community safety spokesman Andy Crump said: “Protecting consumers from fraud and in particular our most elderly and vulnerable residents is a key priority for our Trading Standards Service.
“Taking action against fraudsters both protects consumers and supports our business community.”
