Bleeding them dry Financial abuse by mass marketing scams

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

community.mailwatch@n-somerset.gov.uk

SCHEMINGCRAFTYAGGRESSIVEMALICIOUS

Help me to help them.....Helen Heskins

Principal Officer

North Somerset Trading Standards

01275 888640

Artistic direction by Frank Salt