British Olympian Sir Mo Farah claims he is being harassed for money by the man whose name he took when he was trafficked into the UK illegally as a child.
Born in Somalia, Sir Mo was trafficked to Britain as a child and forced to work as a domestic servant. His father was killed in civil violence when he was just four.
He was born Hussein Abdi Kahin, but he was smuggled into the UK as an illegal immigrant under a false passport bearing his new identity ‘Mo Farah’ – a name that had been stolen from another child.
After revealing his story in a documentary in 2022, Sir Mo offered to help the man whose name he had stolen as a child.
However now it has ended in emotional blackmail, it is claimed.
A source told The Sun that Sir Mo has had to change his phone number after his namesake made incessant demands for cash.
Sir Mo told the man he would stay in contact and sent him around £5,000, it is understood.
However, the other Mo is believed to have got hold of the Olympian’s phone number and used it to hassle him for money, it is claimed.
Sir Mo celebrated with a Union Jack flag after winning the Men’s 10,000metres at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing
Sir Mo Farah holding up a picture of himself as a child during the filming of the BBC documentary The Real Mo Farah, which airs on Wednesday night
Mo Farah, the real Mo Farah, talking to Olympic runner Mo Farah whose real name is Hussein Abdi Kahin during filming for the documentary
The source said Sir Mo felt he was being harassed and hounded.
They said: ‘He has taken a step back. He didn’t want to make a big fuss but thought it better to not engage.
‘He has had to change his phone number. It’s unfair Sir Mo is having to deal with this.
‘He feels he’s the victim. He is just tired, and thinks it’s so sad.’
Sir Mo became a household name after winning gold in both the 5,000 and 10,000metres at the 2012 London Olympics – thanks in no small part to his distinctive ‘Mobot’ celebration.
He repeated his double-gold winning success in Rio in 2016 and also has six world athletic championship titles and five European titles to his name.
Sir Mo was named BBC Sports Personality Of The Year in 2017 and was a campmate in the 2020 series of ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
Last month, Sir Mo chased down a getaway van of two thieves who swiped his phone.
Sir Mo speaks with his brother Hassan and mother Aisha (pictured holding a photograph) during filming for the BBC documentary The Real Mo Farah
Sir Mo kneels as he is made a Knight Bachelor of the British Empire by the Queen at a Buckingham Palace ceremony in November 2017
The four-times gold medallist sprang into action after the crooks struck while he was out running with his wife Tania.
The couple were enjoying a leisurely jog through the wealthy 964-acre gated community where they live when, comforted by the extensive security on site, Sir Mo decided to leave his device at the side of a private road, intending to collect it at the end of his run.
But moments later, the former 10,000 and 5,000-metre champ spotted a large white van, which seemed out of place compared to the top-of-the-range sports cars and SUVs that are usually seen on the exclusive estate.
The vehicle, which had two men inside, pulled up to allow one of them to grab the phone from the path before driving off.
But they hadn’t realised who they were up against.
Showing what one onlooker described as the ‘Olympic speed’ of a top sprinter, Sir Mo, 41, turned on his competitive spirit and took off at ‘full throttle’.
He gave chase along the tree-lined streets as his wife looked on and soon caught up with the hapless thieves, who immediately realised who they were dealing with. Chastened, they handed the phone back before speeding off.