BOSS WHO LOST THIRD OF RETIREMENT FUND

MICHAEL SLEDDON lost a third of his retirement fund after falling victim to fraudsters posing both as his bank and broadband provider.

the 64-year- old, pictured, first received a call offering a Virgin media discount. the thief asked for his card details and said an engineer would visit. mr sleddon felt suspicious and rang Barclays, which promised to cancel his card.

But then he had a call from a man called claiming to be from the bank’s fraud team, saying his money was at risk.

He persuaded mr sleddon to transfer £ 9,000 to a ‘ safe’ account before a second £8,000 payment was blocked by Barclays. mr sleddon also moved £11,700 from HsBC. When the phone call finished mr sleddon played the conversation over in his head and it dawned on him he had been conned.

it was too late and his money had gone. mr sleddon said: ‘i have just retired after running a small business and had transferred a large sum of money to my account six days earlier. it was for drawing down in my retirement. someone must have known.’

neither Barclays nor HsBC agreed to refund mr sleddon because he had authorised the payments. Barclays said mr sleddon had assured the bank that both payments were genuine.