A rogue wedding photographer is accused of scamming dozens of newlyweds out of thousands of pounds – after promising to capture their big day, then vanishing without trace.
Sayf Najafi, 28, is said to have pocketed payments from around 40 devastated couples for wedding photos and videos that never materialised.
Victims say that in some cases he turned up and in others, he pleaded illness and sent a stand-in to take the pictures. Either way, he later cut off all contact and never delivered their pictures.
Despite owing thousands in court-ordered refunds and relocating to Dubai, the Daily Mail can reveal how Najafi has taken bookings through his CapturebySZ business as recently as last month – even as furious couples plead for their missing photos.
Adam Jed, 32, a tech consultant, and his architect wife Amar, 25, booked Najafi for their lavish wedding at the Hilton in Kensington, central London, in January this year.
They discovered CapturebySZ through Instagram and paid £1,600 for a four-hour photography package and pre-wedding shoot – 60 per cent upfront and the rest after the day.
Despite being promised all the images within two months, none have ever arrived.
Mr Jed said: ‘We did our research when booking him – he appeared to have good reviews and sent us samples which we were impressed by.
Wedding photographer Sayf Najafi, 28, has been accused of scamming newlyweds out of thousands of pounds by promising to capture their special day on camera and then vanishing without a trace (pictured: A couple used to advertise Sayf’s company)
‘On the day of our wedding, he told us the original photographer was ill and sent a scruffy replacement who told us they thought they were going to a party, not a wedding.
‘We were told we’d have everything within two months but we’ve not received a single thing.
‘At first, we thought it was just a delay. But when we reached out to other couples, we realised dozens of people were in the same boat.
‘We tried to contact him, asking him at least to send us the raw footage. But he responded saying it was against company policy.
‘Then he just stopped responding and completely vanished.
After the event, Najafi stopped replying to messages. Mr Jed said he and his wife messaged daily for months with no response.
He added: ‘For my wife, it’s been devastating. Weddings are one of the biggest moments in your life – to not have photographs of the day is just heart-breaking.
‘We moved abroad to Dubai straight after the wedding and we both desperately wanted those photos to share with our family in the UK.
The photographer is said to have received payments from around 40 heartbroken couples for wedding photos and videos that never materialised (pictured: A couple used to advertise Sayf’s company)
The photographer (pictured) owes thousands in court-ordered refunds and has relocated to Dubai
Sayf’s Instagram account boasts over three thousand followers and showcases a range of wedding photographs
‘Sadly, I don’t think there’s a chance that we’ll ever get our photos.
‘Now, we just want to stop him doing this to anyone else.’
Three couples have taken Najafi to the small claims court, public records show.
He was ordered to pay £4,459 on October 1, £1,023 on July 1, and £3,940 on December 6 last year.
All of the judgments against him remain unpaid.
Hira Ghani, 28, and husband Ali, 34, are currently suing Najafi for more than £2,000.
They paid CapturebySZ £1,970 to cover the glitzy two-day affair in Croydon, south London in March.
However, Najafi, who brags of ‘candid and unique’ photography with a ‘touch of cinematic flair’, did not attend – instead sending third-party photographers in his place.
Ismael Benchamcham, 31, and wife Fahima, 29 (pictured), booked Najafi last month for their glamorous wedding
Ismael and wife Fahima paid the photographer around £1,000 to cover their ceremony in Southall, south-west London
Tech consultant Adam Jed (pictured), 32, and his architect wife Amar, 25, booked Najafi for their lavish wedding at the Hilton in Kensington, central London, in January this year – but are yet to receive any images
No photos have ever been delivered to the Ghanis, despite one freelance photographer confirming he had sent on the photographs to Najafi.
Mrs Ghani said: ‘I had spoken to a few other photographers, but he was the only one who really listened to what I wanted.
‘He was so convincing – a classic sweet talker – and I got caught up in it, thinking he genuinely understood the kind of photos I wanted.
‘On the first day of the event, there was no photographer. I messaged him, and he said the photographers were on their way. When they arrived, they were dismissive, kept saying they wanted to leave, and clearly weren’t prepared for a wedding.
‘The second day was even worse. A substitute photographer turned up and said she was leaving at 6pm. She said she had no idea who Sayf Najafi was, just that she had been booked by a third party.
‘By August, I still hadn’t received anything, despite repeated messages. The last message I got from him read: ‘Nothing is ready. We are working on projects’.
Mrs Ghani asked for photos taken by her 360 wedding guests to fill the void left by Najafi. Sadly, there were only a few, and many were blurry.
She added: ‘We still want the professional photos. They were supposed to be memories of our wedding, and they’re gone.
Sayf’s website homepage reads, ‘Eternal Memories’, alongside a photograph of a couple on their special day
The photographer promised a number of the newlyweds that their wedding pictures would arrive within a couple of months – but then disappeared
Over 40 couples, all of whom claim to have been scammed by Najafi, have joined a WhatsApp group to share their ordeals
‘He clearly has no sentimental value for the photos – he’s just taken the money.
‘It’s awful. Just really scummy. Weddings are one of the most important days of your life, and for him to take advantage of people like this, it’s heartbreaking.’
More than 40 couples, all of whom claim to have been fleeced by Najafi, have joined a group to share their ordeals and discuss next steps.
Among them is Imaan Ghauri, 29, who has waited 17 months for her wedding photos and videos.
She paid £975 for CapturebySZ to attend her marriage to husband Zeeshan, 31, at a stately home in Berkshire in June 2024.
On that occasion, Najafi attended in person where he demanded the remainder of the payment before proceedings began.
Mrs Ghauri, from West Drayton, west London said: ‘We had such a bad experience with him. He was rude to us, rude to our guests, and I remember at the time thinking I was going to leave a bad review.
‘But I didn’t expect that I would never receive any photos or videos.
Three couples have taken Najafi to the small claims court following their weddings, public records show
Sayf was ordered to pay £4,459 on October 1, £1,023 on July 1, and £3,940 on December 6 last year
‘For weeks, I called him every single day but he didn’t pick up. I sent messages but he didn’t respond.
‘My husband began looking into him and we found that he had done the same to other people.
‘In August this year – so more than a year later – I wrote a long message to him, saying he clearly doesn’t have a conscience.
‘He replied: ‘I’ll get back to you on this matter tomorrow’ but then he never responded.
‘It’s the same thing he said to everyone else.
‘I just don’t understand why he won’t send on the photos, even just the raw files. It doesn’t make sense to me – has he deleted them?’
The Daily Mail understands Najafi fled his home in the Hall Green area of Birmingham in March for a new life in the United Arab Emirates.
Victims claim he had been working at a real estate broker in Dubai, while still touting for work as a wedding photographer.
28-year-old Hira Ghani (pictured), and her husband Ali, 34, are currently suing Najafi for more than £2,000
His social media accounts remain active, though comments have been restricted to prevent criticism.
Meanwhile, the business’s website continues to boast: ‘You’re not just booking a photographer, but making friends for life.
‘We will be with you throughout your special days to capture your events, and we will do our best we can for you to be by your side through it all.’
Despite being in Dubai, Najafi struck again as recently last month when hired for the glamorous wedding of Ismael Benchamcham, 31, and wife Fahima, 29.
They paid him around £1,000 to cover their ceremony in Southall, south-west London.
Mr Benchamcham, a graphic designer, said: ‘We booked him in March, paid the deposit straight away, and didn’t really think much about it after that. He seemed like a nice person over the phone.
‘About a month before the wedding, my wife got a message from him saying the rest of the balance was due.
‘We paid it – but the first payment had gone to his personal bank account. When my wife realised, she told him to send proper business details for the rest. He didn’t like that, but eventually sent a company account.
‘When we got to the venue, there was only one woman there with both a camera and a video camera. She was supposed to be doing both jobs, which is impossible. She even asked guests and venue staff to help her.
‘We’re Moroccan and Tanzanian, so it was a big, lively celebration and the photographer missed most of it. She disappeared halfway through the night.
‘We’ve not had any photos or videos and had no reply, despite calling and messaging on repeat.
‘At this point, I don’t even know if the photos exist. Has he paid the photographer? Did the photographer send him the pictures? Were they ever edited? I have no idea. It’s a complete mystery.’
Mr Benchamcham said the lack of photos was ‘heartbreaking’.
He added: ‘This was our once-in-a-lifetime day. We had relatives fly in from all over the world, people we may never see for a very long time.
‘They were photos we wanted to look back on for the rest of our lives and show our grandchildren.’
The experiences of newlywed couples are also revealed in damning Trustpilot reviews.
‘Absolute scammer,’ wrote one. ‘Over 40 people scammed and he’s run to Dubai. We are filing cases in the UK and Dubai against this loser and sad human being.
‘People just want their raw files and he’s blanking everyone. We will bring him to justice.’
Another wrote in August: ‘You only get one wedding day and the moments captured on that day are extremely special.
‘Sayf completely took advantage of us to make a quick buck with no regard of how special and meaningful this day was to us. We are not the only ones.’
A third aggrieved couple added: ‘On the wedding day, the photographers were not proactive or enthusiastic at all.
‘Instead of capturing moments naturally, they often just sat around waiting to be told what to do. I found myself having to direct them to take pictures, which is the last thing you want on such an important day.
‘Since the wedding, we have been waiting patiently for our photos, but almost a year later, we still have not received a single picture.’
Another post on the Scamdoc website added: ‘I am utterly appalled by the lack of professionalism by these people.
‘They ruined my daughter’s special day by not giving us the videos and pictures to look back on.’
Ms Ghauri said her outstanding photos arrived on Thursday, after the Daily Mail contacted Najafi to inform him of our investigation.
She described them as ‘okay’ but ‘not the greatest’, and told how she was still awaiting her promised wedding videos.
Najafi did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
His ex-wife Zainab Mohamed, 28, said she was ‘no longer associated with Sayf Najafi and have no involvement in any of his businesses’.
‘My only role in the past was to offer some help,’ she added.
