“You preyed on those who became close to you."
Rajesh Ghedia, aged 42, of Maidenhead, was jailed for six years and nine months for fraud. The banker’s scams were worth a total of £1.8 million.
The scams dated back to 2016.
Southwark Crown Court heard that Ghedia pretended to be the vice president of the Bank of America to convince seven victims to invest just over £600,000.
Jack Talbot, prosecuting, said the victims were told they could double or triple their money over a short period of time.
Saeeda Ahmed, the wife of Ahmed’s regular taxi driver, lost more than £100,000 and the couple had to sell their home after borrowing £70,000 to pay fake taxes Ghedia invented to siphon more money from them.
When Mrs Ahmed went to confront Ghedia over not receiving any payments, Ghedia claimed that a car crash in the US had left his daughter in hospital.
When she came to see him again, the banker told her his daughter had died.
Other victims included his cousin Vipul Chandegra who was defrauded of £63,491, Per Selbekk, a father he met through his children’s school, of £116,664, and Wayne Johncock, a man he met at a neighbourhood party, of £181,599.
Ghedia, who did work at the Bank of America but as Program Lead in the Global Technology and Operations department, was interviewed by police in August 2020.
He went on to defraud Legal and General and his pension schemes between October 2020 and May 2021.
The banker forged medical documents and letters diagnosing him with terminal cancer purporting to be from Dr Nick Maisey, a consultant oncologist at a private hospital in central London.
He also forged documents from a doctor at the Royal Marsden and another at Great Portland Street. As the doctors were listed on the General Medical Council register, the funds were released.
Ghedia successfully claimed £1.2 million.
He then tried to take out a new life insurance policy with Aviva for over £900,000 claiming he was not receiving any treatment at all.
The frauds came to light when he stopped paying his mortgage and an investigator found he had “tripped up” when he wrote a different date of diagnosis on one of his letters.
Ghedia admitted 22 counts of fraud relating to fake investments and eight counts relating to the cancer scam.
The banker lived a “lavish lifestyle”, driving “high value” cars and living in a mansion in Surrey’s exclusive Virginia Water neighbourhood, where his children were privately educated.
Judge Deborah Taylor said: “You preyed on those who became close to you. All said what devastation you caused them.
“You showed a total disregard of their life, health and reputation.”
“All have been left scarred by the encounters with you and they thought you were their friend and helping them.”
In relation to the cancer scam, the judge said:
“You used the names and reputations of doctors who were totally unaware of your involvement in this and that their name was being used without regard to their professional standing or reputation.
“This was after you had been arrested and interviewed in relation to the investment fraud.
“You failed to respond to the warnings by the interviews in relation to previous offences about your behaviour.
“You ruthlessly traded on the doctors’ reputation and standing to support your fraud.”
Ghedia was jailed for six years and nine months.
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