Fake Covid officer Adbulfatah Omar Awow accused of sex blackmail threat

Police fear a Covid-19 officer who allegedly told an isolating Melbourne woman “make me happy and I will lie for you” may have more alleged victims.

Police fear a fake COVID-19 compliance officer, accused of threatening an isolating woman with deportation if she didn’t have sex, has other victims who haven’t come forward.

Adbulfatah Omar Awow, 25, faces a dozen charges after he allegedly took the private information of a woman who was isolating after a COVID-19 test and tried to blackmail her to perform sex acts by claiming she’d breached the rules.

Awow was working as a welfare officer for those in mandatory coronavirus isolation.

As a casual staffer for a business doing contact tracing research and data analysis for the Department of Health, he had access to isolating Victorians’ personal details.

Adbulfatah Omar Awow.

He held this role despite being on bail for cocaine trafficking, possession of drugs and dealing with property suspected to be proceeds of crime, from July 15 2020.

The man, also known as Abai Awow, called the woman while on shift on July 14.

It’s believed he took a photo of the 31-year-old’s details from his work computer.

About two hours after his shift, at 8.45pm, it’s alleged he used his personal mobile to contact the woman again, claiming to be an inspection officer with the Department of Health, saying he was coming to her Burwood home in half an hour for a compliance check.

When he arrived, he showed the woman an image of her details from his phone, then walked around her house taking written notes and pictures, then asked to see her bedroom, documents state.

Awow allegedly told the woman she was failing to comply with the rules because she was in a sharehouse, and that the government could deport her.

The woman became fearful she may not be able to take part in a citizenship ceremony the next week.

Her boyfriend called, and Awow spoke to him, allegedly identifying himself as a health officer and stating the woman was not complying with the rules.

It’s claimed he then told her he was prepared to lie for her if they had sex, and that other women had followed his orders before.

“You make me happy and I will lie for you and no one needs to know and you will be protected,” Awow allegedly wrote in a translator app on the woman’s phone.

When her housemate came out of their room, Awow left.

Police believe this is because he realised they weren’t alone.

But after the ordeal, it’s claimed he called her five times and the “frightened” woman checked into a hotel out of fear he would return.

She later left Victoria, and travelled to Sydney.

The woman’s boyfriend alerted police, and she handed over a photo she’d taken of the offender on her phone.

When police raided his Carlton house on August 6, they found a brown and black camouflage hoodie and white socks with black and red stripes on the ankle that the offender appeared to be wearing from the picture.

Awow seemed to be avoiding police, and didn’t attend a station for six days despite repeated requests.

On August 12, police released his photo through the media and he turned himself in within hours.

Court documents reveal that police fear Awow had further alleged victims who haven’t yet come forward due to his access to people’s personal details.

It was because of this concern, and others, that police opposed bail, which was refused.

He attended a short filing hearing from prison on Friday and will return to Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a committal mention on November 12.

Awow has been fired from his casual job at the contact tracing business.