bleeding them dry financial abuse by mass marketing scams
TRANSCRIPT
Bleeding them dryFinancial abuse by mass marketing scams
What we will cover
• Mass marketing • Trading Standards involvement • Case studies• Interventions
Mass marketingWhat, who, how... effects and problems
What is a mass marketing scam?
• Misleading or deceptive practice• Unsolicited or uninvited mail/phone call• False promises
With the aim to con victim out of moneyIT IS A CRIME.
IT IS FRAUDULENT.
Methods
Who is targeted?Anyone can be a target
But, statistics show:
• Average age of a victim is 72• Most live alone, often widowed• Lonely and isolated• Not always lacking capacity• Trusting
• They don’t believe they are a victim of crime
How does the con work?
Frank is 75 years old, a widower and lives alone
His family live nearby and are in regular contact but Frank likes keeping his privacy and independence, so is very self-reliant
Meet Frank:
1Sometimes no money is requested initially
The catalogue company sells on his information to many other companies
Frank responds to a catalogue prize draw – he could win cash or a brand new car
Frank responds and wins a prize! All he needs to do is pay a small fee to receive his winnings
Frank starts receiving several letters a day requesting small sums of money, soon he’s paying hundreds a month
More prize draw offers and competitions arrive through the letter box
2
His letter box is flooded with ‘URGENT’ letters from clairvoyants and overseas lotteries
He’s persuaded to share his bank details
A month on: Franks personal details have been added to a ‘suckers list’3
Payments ranging £18 to £1800 leave his account. He eventually goes overdrawn, can’t pay bills or buy food
What is the effect on the victim?
• The elderly victim cannot regain their losses
• Lose confidence in living alone• Victims who need care may no longer be
able to afford it and become dependent on the state
What are the problems?• Scam mail is targeted from abroad
via mail forwarders in the UK• The Royal Mail must deliver all
mail; we cannot interrupt the delivery
• Pseudo-legitimate companies use catalogues selling high priced goods as their initial pitch
What are the problems?
Denial
Enjoyment
Addiction
Loss of con-trol
Dementia
Age
Vulnerability
Embarrassment
Further problems...
Safeguarding
Has not picked up the problem as financial
abuse
• Is only seen as targeted fraud by carers or
family with known perpetrators
• Most victims not known to adult social care
Trading StandardsStopping the cycle
What does the Care Act 2014 bring to the table for us?
Financial abuse is defined:
• Having money or property stolen• Being defrauded• Being put under pressure in relation to money or
other property• Having money or other property misused
Section 42
• Duty to make enquiries
• Reasonable cause to suspect
• Experiencing or at risk of abuse
• Unable to protect themselves
Why are Trading Standards involved?
• We are trained to investigate criminality
• We prosecute perpetrators
• Now we have a victim list
But...
• Offenders outside UK and EU• They are chameleons• Mail forwarders are being targeted• Need to cut off the supply of victims
- keep the ‘dealer’ away from the ‘users’
How we intervene?
• Mail and lists of victims are collected/seized• Support worker (Age UK) visits
individuals to scope risk of further scams, collects scam mail and promotes ‘TH!NK Jessica’
• We make referrals to other agencies; “We Care and Repair” etc
How we intervene? Continued
• We contact banks with permission to prevent further losses
• We fit call-blockers on loan....for 12 months free of charge
• We support family members and victim to stop responding to mail
• Provide advice on ‘doorstep crime’ • Refer to ASC and Care Connect• If family have Lasting Power of Attorney...advise
redirection of mail
What we have discovered already
• Recipients do not accept they are victims of a fraud• They may be addicted to the process• They have routine and structure to their day, waiting
for and responding to mail• They are bored and lonely• They do not add up their losses - shocked when they
do• Sometimes it is an early sign of dementia• Too trusting - believing they will ‘win’
Case studies
Case study 1• Phoebe is in her 70s living alone,
widowed• She enjoys buying porcelain ornaments
and buys from catalogues• She suffers from mobility issues
following a road traffic accident• There may be following head injuries
mental capacity issues • Very lonely and susceptible to
‘grooming by befriending’ – yet has good family support
• Responds to telephone sales
Aged 70+
Lives alone
Expendable cash
Case study 2• Fraser is in his 80s, a widower and lives
alone with no family nearby• on the scams hub list having responded to
mail• on pension credit• high volumes of scam mail• paying out £280 per month by cheque and
£550 by debit to scammers• didn’t believe he was a victim of crime• believed he could win• bought items from catalogues he didn’t
want• overdrawn at bank...no savings
Aged 70+
Lives alone
Expendable cash
Interventions
The psychology
• Jessica Scam Syndrome• Early stages of dementia• Lacking capacity? • Lasting Power of Attorney• Court of Protection
Everyone can help
• Dealing with causes; loneliness and isolation• Recognising dementia• Recognising JSS• Referring to the right people
• Support the process by passing on the message
spot the signs
SCHEMINGCRAFTYAGGRESSIVEMALICIOUS
Help me to help them.....Helen Heskins
Principal Officer
North Somerset Trading Standards
01275 888640
Artistic direction by Frank Salt