Forum Topic

Watch out for scam artist

My lovely octogenarian neighbours were scammed out of 6k today by some scumbag who told them he'd been working on our roof and noticed in the process that they had some loose tiles. The wife is caring for her husband who has Alzheimer's.I would cheerfully castrate these people with my secateurs!Not much to go on. One bloke, white van with roof rack for ladders. Please don't be taken in.

Susan Kelly ● 5735d9 Comments

'I would cheerfully castrate these people with my secateurs' and I would happily hold them down while you did it Susan.An old lady who lives a few doors down from me was scalped of £600 by 'gas engineers'a couple of years ago.There are no words to describe these a**eholes adequately.

Keith Iddon ● 5734d

They're hard to catch and hard to prosecute when they are caught, as the elderly and infirm make poor witnesses in court.My late father-in-law was conned out of thousands over a period of a couple of years by people like this.Once they identify a vulnerable target, they tell all their mates too so the same people get conned again and again.It's a truly shameful crime.The editor is putting a piece on the front page about it. You never know; someone might spot them.

Susan Kelly ● 5734d

That is very sad Susan.You have got to be lower than a snake's belly to do this kind of crime.I would only used blunt and rusty secateurs...

Keith Iddon ● 5734d

One annoying thing is that I saw the man arrive and later saw him out back with his ladder. Naturally, I assumed that they had called him in for some small job. From now on, I am going to take photos of anyone I see in such circs, and their vehicles, just to be on the safe side.At least I was able to give the police a description of the man and his car.

Susan Kelly ● 5734d

"Driving a white estate-type car with roof rack holding ladders."Fairly easy to spot on CCTV. Hopefully nearby cameras are being looked at around that time.

Nick Jenkins ● 5734d

The couple in question are my parents. I've logged onto this website for the first time today to warn others only to find you've already done it, Susan! Thank you so much. There were actually three men involved, two 40-ish Irish men who my parents met in person plus a 'boss', with an Irish accent, allegedly in their Greenford HQ but actually at the end of a mobile phone - doubtless sitting comfortably in the warmth of that white van you saw, Susan!

Sarah Boulding ● 5733d

Re  Susan! Thank you so much          xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    yes indeed. Same thing happened to my father when in his mid 80's and the D/glazing company actually drove him to the Building Society to withdraw the money. When I found out I spent a day faxing the CEO of the subsidiary of Pilkington Glass and got the price drastically reduced. It is a shame cashiers do not question and satisfy themselves  withdrawals of substantial sums by elderly people are not part of a " fraud ".  There is no point in the setting up of an local govt. office who could advise on the appropriate charge for any repair work as the elderly concerned would either not know of it's existence or overlook using it. But as has been stated, only the lowest of the low  could do such to mentally or elderly folk. Let's hope it happens good and proper to the scammers when they in turn get old and vulnerable.

Tony Price ● 5729d

Do you mean Julian Bell (our council leader) who is cutting all the disabled services, closing the toilets in the council to the public, and building a half-million pound skateboard park as well as refurbishing the riding stables for polo ponies in Gunnersbury Park to the tune of £5 million?

Luther Brown ● 5727d

Most councils have a list of approved people for repairs but, as Tony says, many elderly people don't know of this service.

Susan Kelly ● 5727d