Mahrez conned Sh27 million
Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez lost Sh27 million (£175,000 ) to an online fraudster even though he took five weeks to notice the theft.
The beneficiary, Sharif Mohamed, 32, a forklift driver from East London, used the money in casinos, restaurants, and a vacation in Ibiza.
According to The Sun, the police were surprised that the winger didn’t even realize money was being siphoned from his account.
Mahrez earns Sh30 million (£200,000) weekly.
Sharif, 32, admitted a single count of fraud at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London in December last year and he is due to be sentenced on February 25.
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed details of the charge show that Mahrez’s bank, Barclays, were forced to reimburse him the Sh27 million after a card the player never received was used to make purchases for hotels, with airline Jet2, at a nail salon, and in restaurants.
The incident happened in August 2017, when the Algerian forward was playing for Leicester City.
An individual called his bank requesting a replacement card, according to information provided by the CPS.
The card was not sent to the player’s address and Mahrez did not receive it.
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.
He travelled from his home in East London to Leicester to withdraw cash from ATMs to avoid raising suspicion.
Transactions made with the card in August and September 2017 included meals at restaurant chain Nando’s as well as payments for hotels and at a nail salon.
Sharif is due to submit a fuller basis of plea outlining what he accepts as his spending at the court hearing in February.
Mahrez joined Manchester City for Sh9 billion (£60 million) in the summer of 2018, two years after winning the Premier League title with Leicester City.