Bogus immigration adviser locked up after fleecing clients out of thousands
A bogus immigration adviser who preyed on unsuspecting clients, conning them out of thousands of pounds, has been jailed.
Safhir Majid posed as a lawyer and charged members of the Pakistani community for advice he was not qualified to give.
His actions led to one woman facing deportation from the UK, while the conman then threatened her husband.
The phoney adviser, from Old Hill, Cradley Heath, set up a fake office in Walsall and roped in his former business partner to pretend to be his solicitor.
One client paid £4,500 for what they believed was expert advice from Majid, aged 38, of Highgate Street, who was formerly a mortgage adviser.
He was jailed for 27 months at Birmingham Crown Court after admitting five counts providing unqualified immigration advice and services and one count of fraud by false representation.
His crony Ahmed Bhatti, 39, of Kingsdown Avenue, Great Barr, was given a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
He pleaded guilty to one count of providing unqualified immigration advice and one count of fraud by false representation.
Judge Rupert Mayo described Majid as a fraud and told him: “You posed as a lawyer, you knew you were not qualified.
“You bungled one application and as a result of your incompetence she faces removal from the UK. You threatened her husband and this is despicable behaviour, you threatened again in the case of other victims.
“Offences of this type prey on vulnerable people. Immigration relies on people being properly represented, you were incompetent and greedy. You have made a good deal of money from these frauds."
He told Bhatti: "Your role was lesser but when required you were able to offer enforcement”.
Speaking after the case, Deputy Immigration Services Commissioner Dr Ian Leigh said: “Safhir Majid and Shahid Ahmed Bhatti set up a criminal enterprise to provide immigration advice when they were not qualified or competent to do so.
“The degree of culpability is high, as is the harm they have caused. They owe a considerable amount of money to individuals, may have caused harm to unknown others and have undermined the immigration system.
“These are extremely serious offences. I am delighted with the outcome in this case.”
