Banking on help after £35k con terror
THE heartless manipulation that terrified a lone elderly woman into handing over her £35,000 savings after days of relentless grooming is one of the most sinister scams Crusader has come across.
But instead of enduring humiliation and hardship, Maggie Martin now has her money back after help from Crusader, banks and caring neighbours who raised the alarm.
But the trauma she experienced as the crooks directed her every move still makes her shudder.
“It affected my memory,” says Maggie, 80. “That made it hard to explain when I reported it and was awful for my confidence.”
The elaborate con began with an officious cold call from a fake Metropolitan Police officer. He told her one of her bank cards had been cloned to buy a £8,000 watch and her only chance of recouping the money was to collaborate with an undercover fraud team.
Scared witless, Maggie obeyed. She has two bank accounts with NatWest and Santander and recalls: “They knew about one of them, and the worry may have made me speak about the other.”
Four days of intolerable pressure then began late last year, with the swindlers ordering her to withdraw money from various branches and foreign exchanges and even buy gold bars from a dealer in London.
The criminals organised a cab to escort her, while they kept in contact. “I had to keep my mobile on so they could issue instructions. I felt in a fog with the pressure,” says Maggie.
Her payments were blocked and challenged by branch staff because of their unusual and high value. But Maggie had been drilled to give false explanations, such as the cash was for a builder, and the money was released. Each day the crooks collected the proceeds.
With her savings cashed in, all Maggie had left was £2.50 – and the gang shouting at her to give them her jewellery. That spurred her to sever contact. She then heard about the scam, realised she was a victim and told the police. The Contingent Reimbursement Model, a voluntary code that many banks have signed up to, compensates customers who are victims of authorised push payment scams who have not been wilfully negligent.
Maggie’s banks initially refused to refund her because of the false circumstances she had given. But after she confided in neighbours they contacted Crusader who took up her cause.
NatWest refunded Maggie £5,000 within days, then Santander followed suit, recognising “what we believe to be an extreme case of social engineering,” said a spokesperson.
“The relief is incredible,” says Maggie. “The support I’ve had enabling me to explain properly changed everything.”
● Maggie’s name has been changed.
AGE UK runs a range of services for people dealing with the impact of fraud, including improving digital skills and handyperson security services. Visit ageuk .org.uk