Scammers

[Jenegade]

I just got an e-mail from my dad this morning telling me that my grandpa (94 years old now) got a phone call from some guy saying he'd won £80,000 and all he had to do to claim was send £3250 to him, an address in Middlesex.

And my grandpa thought that's great and sent the money IN CASH! When my dad found out he called the police, nothing they can do and told my grandpa off, but he'll have forgotten all about it by next week! I cannot believe someone would do that to an old man, he hasn't got that much savings and now someone's gone and convinced him to do that!! Grrrr......

Sorry had to get that off my chest!

[jackie j]

Oh your poor grandad some people are so mean to be able to do that. Lets hope someone stops them before they con any more. Unfortunatly lots of elderly people get conned like this. Try trading standards and see what they come up with I am sure I have read somewhere that they can take action if you have any details.
Not much we can say really.
Hugs coming your way and to your grandad.

[selfraising]

That's awful, praying on people like that Could you write to WatchDog?
Makes me so cross!

[selfraising]

....also could your Dad retrieve the number of your grandad's phone by doing 1471? Perhaps it might also be worth contacting BT, so see if they can block these sort of calls in future.

[Scottishnewbie]

There's a new team been set up in Scotland called Scambusters. They are council based but work closely with Trading STandards and the police (in fact most of their staff are retired police officers). They have more time to investigate these sorts of things and would really want to hear from you i am sure. Reason i know about them is cos my husband is a retire cop and started working there last year, Their 2 scottish sites are in motherwell and dundee (but cover the whole country). dont have office number to hand but i'm sure if you google scambusters you'll get the number - otherwise let me know and i'll post it on here

[FionaH]

That is dreadful

[Naga]

It was probably a Nigerian 419 scam, I have had a lot of fun with these in the past, check out 419eater.com

Millions of pounds get taken every year from people in the UK and the scams are pretty much untraceable.

[Victoria26]

Someone tried that with me.

I informed them I was a police officer (I'm not btw) and the line went dead.

Thats dreadful that this happened to your grandpa!

[SlugLobber]

What do you mean there's nothing they can do? What about the address??? Surely a diversion can be set up through Royal Mail?

Sorry to hear your Grandad got caught out. I hope these people rot in hell.

[Jenegade]

Thanks for your replies and advice! It is awful that this can happen, how can they sleep at night knowing that they've taken money from an elderly person? Grr, gets me mad, least when he was younger he would have said no and told them to get lost, but now he doesn't know any better... I don't know if he still has the address, I shall find out. The police did take down details, but basically said there was nothing they could do and it's all probably gone to Nigeria now!!

I can't find that Scambusters phone number Scottishnewbie, could you PM me it please?

If I can get the address it might be useful and can see if someone at Scambusters (or maybe Watchdog??) could investigate!

[Scottishnewbie]

Jenegade, sorry took all day to get back to you. Spoke to OH and he says you need to phone Consumer Direct (google for number). Apparently, it's consumer direct that transfer information to scambusters! what a waste of money and time i told him - why cant people call direct??? anyway, he says that's the best thing to do. Hope you get on ok. Oh he also said that the OFT might pick it up too

[dexterdoglancashire]

God, thats awful! How can someone do something like that? Is your grandad OK?

[Marthaclematis]

I'm sorry this has happened to your grandad. Maybe now is the time that he should be living somewhere where he can be better taken care of... 94 is a bit old to be living independently - and if he's losing his faculties maybe your dad should get power of attorney (I don't know if its called that in Scotland). My BIL had to do that with an old aunt who was spending all her pension on lotterey tickets then trying to give her meagre 'winnings' to the shopkeeper when she won.