A trio of conmen who targeted vulnerable elderly people across Scotland are set to face sentencing in November, after their case was pushed back from an earlier date.
Ahsan Shahid, Sean Singh, and Duncan Currie will appear before the court later this year to learn their fate following their convictions for scamming older victims out of significant sums of money.
Ahsan Shahid is the brother of convicted killer Imran “Baldy” Shahid, one of Scotland’s most notorious criminals, who was jailed for the 2004 murder of Kriss Donald in Glasgow. The 15-year-old schoolboy was abducted, tortured and killed in one of the most shocking racially motivated murders in Scottish criminal history.
While Ahsan Shahid carries that infamous family name, his own crimes centred on financial exploitation rather than violence. Along with Singh and Currie, he targeted some of the most vulnerable members of Scottish society, older people who were deceived and manipulated into handing over their money.
Scams targeting elderly victims have become an increasing concern for police and community groups across Scotland. Fraudsters typically use a range of tactics, from doorstep cons and fake tradesmen to phone and online deception, often leaving victims not just financially damaged but emotionally shaken and less trusting of those around them.
The three men were convicted following their involvement in a coordinated fraud operation. The details of exactly how much money was taken and how many victims were affected are expected to be laid out in full during the sentencing hearing in November.
The delay to sentencing is not uncommon in complex fraud cases, where courts require time to prepare detailed background reports on each accused and assess the full financial impact on those who were targeted.
Victim support organisations have long highlighted that fraud against older people is vastly underreported, with many victims feeling embarrassed or blaming themselves for being deceived. The reality is that these gangs are calculated and deliberate, often spending time building trust before striking.
All three men now await the November hearing, where a judge will determine what punishment fits the scale of their offending. Sentencing in fraud cases of this nature can result in significant custodial sentences, particularly where the victims were elderly or vulnerable and the crimes were carried out in an organised fashion.
For the families of those who were targeted, the sentencing will hopefully bring some measure of closure to what has been a deeply distressing experience.