Fraudster blew £175,000 on Riyad Mahrez’s bank card

A fraudster blew £175,000 on Riyad Mahrez’s bank card as he treated himself to a £20,000 trip to Ibiza, gambling and even trips to Nando’s, KFC and Greggs.

It took the Premier League football star five weeks to realise the money had been taken and block the card which truck driver Sharif Mohamed, 32, had defrauded in 2017.

Mohamed spent a total of £175,830 during his spending spree, which included the £20,000 he blew drinking champagne at beach bars and on designer clothes in Ibiza.

He had stayed at the Shangri-La hotel and indulged in meals at the Edward John Lucas restaurant, while also spending £1,400 on a single pair of Armani jeans. 

Mohamed also took an expensive trip to the Aspers Casino in the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre in London, and bought several takeaway meals.

Mahrez – who played for Leicester City at the time – didn’t realise the money had been taken for more than a month.

A fraudster blew £175,000 on Riyad Mahrez’s bank card as he treated himself to a £20,000 trip to Ibiza, gambling and even trips to Nando’s, KFC and Greggs. Pictured: Mahrez with his wife Rita

Former Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Mick Neville told the Sun: ‘The most amazing thing is that someone can blow £175,000 on a bank card without the loser even realising.’

He added: ‘Why on earth would an elite footballer be spending at fast food joints and Britain’s favourite steak bake supplier?

‘Banks are normally very quick off the mark to spot unusual spending but if the sums were low then it probably wouldn’t flag up.’

The fraud came about after a person pretending to be Mahrez, 29, called Barclays to order a new card in the footballer’s name, according to the Sun.

Mohamed, from East Ham, claimed he was working on behalf of bank employees who then allowed him to use the card, although it was said there was no evidence to support this. 

It took the Premier League football star (above) five weeks to realise the money had been taken and block the card which truck driver Sharif Mohamed, 32, had defrauded in 2017

Mohamed stayed at the Shangri-La hotel (pictured) and indulged in meals at the Edward John Lucas restaurant, while also spending £1,400 on a single pair of Armani jeans

The man, who admitted one charge of fraud at Snaresbrook Crown Court, then reportedly travelled from East London to Leicester to withdraw cash.

Prosecutor Alex Matthews said Mohamed admitted the trip to Ibiza, but denied claims he had used the card for further holidays to Ibiza and Murcia.    

The defendant’s barrister Daniel Higgins told the court: ‘In terms of personal benefit he can’t exactly qualify. At least he had a very nice holiday and other benefits.’

Mr Higgins added that Mohamed was ‘drinking and taking drugs’ during this period of his life, so ‘his ability to recall in detail is rather limited.’   

He asked for Mohamed to be given a suspected sentence. 

The fraudster was bailed ahead of sentencing on February 25.