A MAN who pretended to be a policeman and conned an elderly woman into withdrawing thousands of pounds has been jailed.

Alid Chowdhury, of Morgan Mansions, Morgan Road, London, was jailed for 20 weeks for one count of fraud at Oxford Crown Court today.

The 21-year old, the court heard, had targeted an 84-year old woman from Oxford in a scam aimed at pocketing more than £5,000 of her own money.

Chowdhury, or an unidentified member of his group the court heard, rang up the victim on June 30 claiming to be a ‘Sgt Collins’ from ‘Hammersmith Police Station.’

The victim was told that counterfeit money had found its way into her account and that police wanted her to withdraw £5,300 in order to identify serial numbers on the cash.

When she visited her bank staff became suspicious, having been alerted to a similar case of fraud in recent weeks, the court heard, and the police were called.

When the woman was contacted a second time the following day by the caller the police attended her address and later that day Chowdhury arrived as a courier and was handed an envelope by the woman containing paper.

The fake transaction complete Police then made efforts to arrest Chowdhury who fled the scene before being arrested shortly afterwards.

After his arrest he claimed that he was acting as a courier for a larger group of scammers, who were parked in a vehicle nearby, and who the police did not locate, the court heard.

Speaking at his sentencing today Judge Zoe Smith said that Chowdhury’s role in the scam was just a small part of a ‘sophisticated’ group and that for his part he was paid just £50.

She said: “It is clear that you must have come here to Oxford in order to take part in this scam on this elderly lady.

“I have heard from her victim personal statement the devastating effect this has had and how it has caused her great distress.

“To lose confidence at that age that is terrible.”