How forklift driver fraudulently blew Mahrez’s £175,000 in 5weeks

 

A forklift driver blew more than £175,000 on a bank card belonging to Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez.

Sharif Mohamed, 32, spent £20,000 of the winger’s money partying and on designer clothes in Ibiza.

Mohamed blew £20,000 of the winger’s money partying and on designer clothes in Ibiza and in the UK, his spree included a casino splurge

Mahrez failed to realise for more than a month that a fraudster had blown the money.

The £200,000-a-week star took nearly five weeks to block the card Mohamed had got hold of to enjoy a taste of the high life.

In that time, Mohamed burned through £20,000 partying in Ibiza.

He guzzled champagne at trendy beach bars and blew thousands buying designer clothes from boutiques on the holiday island.

In the UK, his spree also included a splurge in a casino — as well as more modest outings to Nando’s, KFC and Greggs.

But the spending — equivalent to less than one week’s pay for the Algeria international — went unnoticed for more than a month.

Commenting on the case, former Met Det Chief Insp Mick Neville said: “The most amazing thing is that someone can blow £175,000 on a bank card without the loser even realising.”

The fraud, totalling £175,830, took place in 2017 while Mahrez, 29, was playing for Leicester City.

A caller posing as the Etihad Stadium favourite phoned Barclays bank to order a new card in his name. Mohamed said that he was working on behalf of crooked bank staff who allowed him to use the card — but he produced no evidence to back up his claim.

In one of his spending sprees he paid £1,400 for a pair of Armani jeans. Ms Matthews added: “He spent £900 in one and £600 in the other and that’s just one night in Ibiza.”

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His spending on the trip included the flights, accommodation in the smart Shangri—La hotel and meals at the upmarket Edward John Lucas restaurant.

Mohamed admitted one charge of fraud at Snaresbrook crown court. He was bailed ahead of sentencing on February 25. He previously received a suspended sentence for a hotel booking scam and was jailed for 45 months in 2009 for robbery.