TO THE RESCUE OVER SAVINGS SCARE
Diana Bundy thanked the Sunday Mail after we highlighted how she had ploughed her life savings into trading firm Stern Options, who claimed to be based in Glasgow and Edinburgh. She failed in repeated attempts to access any of the profit from investments the company claimed to have made on her behalf. Now Diana’s bank, Barclays, have stepped in to pay back her £152,500 after we told her story last November. The 70-year- old said: “God bless the Sunday Mai l. Unt il you got
involved, I’d been told there was nothing the bank could do.
“But after the Sunday Mail pushed my case, Barclays were brilliant. They said Stern manipulated me. After the cash hit my account, I bought the best bottle of Cava.”
Stern Options have shut down their website – but are now w trading as Stern Markets. s.
We revealed how they y used false testimonies s from TV personalities s such as consumer expert t Lewis and tycoon Alan Sugar to lure customers into investing in their binary trading scheme.
Money Saving Expert founder Lewis said he felt like crying after hearing Diana had been fooled by a fake Facebook ad that suggested he supported Stern. The Financial Conduct Authority warned Stern were targeting people “without our authorisation” and said they were based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Barclays got the money back from Visa because Diana had made the transactions using the 16- digit number on heher debit card. Barclays Ba sa id: “WWe’ve been able to get her money back under und ‘Services not rec received’ through the Visa process.” D i a ne , f rom Peacehaven, Peac Sussex, but now living in Spain, Spai added: “The Sunday Sund Mail really helpe helped my case.”