Woman scammed by daughter helped to get her life back
An elderly woman who was conned out of everything she owned by her own daughter has been given her life back by a specialist care service in Nottinghamshire.
The woman, whose identity is being kept private, was the victim of a scam after her daughter ‘took over her finances’, before taking out an equity release plan on her property as well as online banking which was never challenged by her bank.
It seemed unlikely that she would ever see the money again, but through the help of the caseworker she was referred to at Nottinghamshire Victim CARE, who represented the case to the financial ombudsman, the bank was instructed to pay almost £200,000 back to the victim.
The pensioner is one of around 1,400 fraud victims to have been referred through to Nottinghamshire Victim CARE by Action Fraud since October 2023.
The free service offers people the chance to speak to a trained victim support professional who can provide a range of tailored support.
It aims to empower victims to cope and recover from crime, by providing expert victim support and advocacy in a way that suits the victim.
Nottinghamshire Victim CARE is part of the Nottinghamshire Fraud Partnership, which is a collection of organisations who work together to prevent and respond to fraud and support victims.
The partnership meets quarterly and is facilitated and administered by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire.
Gail Trusswell, a Nottinghamshire Victim CARE caseworker, said: “Heartbreaking stories like this are always difficult to hear of but here at Nottinghamshire Victim CARE we have to put the wellbeing of the victim at the forefront of our minds and think about what we can do to help.
“When we get a victim of fraud come through our system, in my role as a caseworker I will speak to that person as soon as possible because we know it can be very stressful for them.
“We offer a wraparound service which is tailored individually to their needs. This includes emotional and practical support which is non-judgemental and empathic, while empowering the victim to be able to move on from the fraud.
“Anybody can be a victim of fraud, whether you’re old, young, married or live on your own, so it’s crucial that our support is tailored.
“The advice I would give is for people to stay scam aware. The Nottinghamshire Fraud Partnership is doing all they can with partners involved in helping take the fight to fraud.”
The Nottinghamshire Fraud Partnership was formed in 2023 to work together to protect individuals and businesses in Nottinghamshire from fraudulent activity, and better support those who have been victimised.
It brings together key organisations including police, local authorities, businesses, education sector and charity partners to strengthen the fight against fraud by sharing information and best practice and collaborating on a wider reaching, focussed and consistent approach to the issue.
It was formed in response to the fact that fraud now accounts for more than 40% of all crime nationally and had risen by 51% in Nottinghamshire in 2023 compared to the pre-Covid baseline.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden said: “It is so important that victims of fraud know they have somewhere to turn if they need help.
“This eye-opening story shows that no matter how much is taken and how close to home the perpetrator is, there is always somebody to talk to and Nottinghamshire Victim CARE will do their upmost to help you to recover both physically and emotionally.
“We know that fraud is on the rise not only in Nottinghamshire but the UK as a whole, and we are doing everything we can to tackle it through the outstanding work of the Nottinghamshire Fraud Partnership and its members.”
CLICK HERE for a free digital information booklet on how to protect yourself and prevent fraud.
For a free printed copy of the booklet, please email officepcc@notts.police.uk, including your name and address and we will post one to you.
For more information about the Nottinghamshire Fraud Partnership, visit www.nottinghamshire.pcc.police.uk/fraud
If you’ve been a victim of fraud, there are several ways to report it:
- If it’s an emergency and someone is in immediate danger (threat to life/property) then call 999.
- Non-emergency/incidents should be reported to Action Fraud as the UK national reporting centre - Reporting fraud and cyber crime | Action Fraud.
- To report anonymously contact Crime Stoppers - www.crimestoppers-uk.org or telephone: 0800 555 111
- If you are unsure if you have been a victim of fraud or would like more advice on who to contact – visit Nottinghamshire Police page where you’ll be asked a series of question and signposted to the best point of contact - Report fraud, bribery or corruption | Nottinghamshire Police