A beauty clinic in Ilford has claimed to be the target of an alleged fraud after a woman received £400 worth of cosmetic treatment—only to leave without paying.
Infinity Aesthetics Ilford, run by 40-year-old Ambreen Shehzadi, says the customer received both lip filler and anti-wrinkle procedures during a 90-minute session but failed to follow through with payment.
Payment Promised But Never Received
According to Ambreen, she was contacted on Sunday by a woman named Maureen, who claimed to be urgently seeking aesthetic care ahead of Mother’s Day.
Following the session, the woman reportedly requested to pay via bank transfer and showed Ambreen her phone, suggesting the transaction had been completed.
However, when Ambreen checked her own account, no funds had appeared. She claims the client then assured her the payment would arrive within two hours, asking her not to worry.
Speaking to Metro, Ambreen alleged: ‘She left, then three hours went by, four hours went by. I tried to call her, message her, no reply at all. ‘She cancelled my call. I felt really upset. I could not believe it. I felt so silly for trusting her. I lost quite a bit of money. I feel extremely angry by it. I spent an hour and a half treating her.’
Three days later, Ambreen said no payment had arrived and all attempts to reach the woman had been ignored. Text messages seen by Metro appear to confirm that the clinic had organised the appointment on Sunday and had repeatedly followed up regarding payment.
Warning to Other Businesses
Ambreen, who has operated Infinity Aesthetics Ilford for three years, reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police. She said the experience had left her feeling stressed and disappointed.
‘I was really stressed and I don’t work on Sundays. I made time for her. This is not right. I am quite trusting—it has never happened to me before. My clients always pay.’
As she does not use Facebook, Ambreen asked a friend to share a warning about the incident on her behalf.
‘I’m sharing this to warn others—whether you’re a business owner or service provider—to be cautious. If someone insists on paying later or via transfer, always wait until the funds are confirmed in your account before proceeding with the service.
If anyone else has encountered this person or a similar situation, please reach out. Let’s support each other and prevent this from happening again.’
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police confirmed they are investigating the case: “At around 13:30hrs on Tuesday 1 April police were alerted to reports of fraud through a false bank transfer made by a customer. The victim is a business in Gordon Road, Ilford. The incident occurred on Sunday, 30 March. There have been no arrests. The investigation is ongoing.”
