Elderly people in Sussex lost £5 million to fraud in a year, say police

To mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15) the force is joining other authorities highlighting issues which some older people may face, which includes multiple types of abuse against the elderly – whether it is physical, financial, sexual or psychological.

Police said this abuse can occur anywhere and can have serious long-term physical and psychological consequences for victims.

Sussex Police is specifically taking the opportunity to raise awareness around their operation to combat financial abuse against the elderly.

A police spokesperson said, “Operation Signature is our campaign to identify, protect and support vulnerable victims of fraud. Through this, we have identified reports from 1,427 victims over 75 in the past year (June 2019 to May 2020) - with the oldest victim being 102 years of age.”

Officers said the total loss of these frauds was £5,356,270, with the average being £10,975.

Out of the 1,427 victims, 61 per cent were female and 39 per cent were male. The vast majority - 68 per cent (965) - live alone.

Sussex Police said the most commonly reported types of frauds affecting the elderly in the last year have been:

• Courier or impersonator fraud - which is when criminals pretend to be from an organisation such as a bank to take personal details or money from victims. Sussex Police recorded 421 incidents involving over 75s in the past year.

• Door step crime or rogue traders frauds (318 in the past year).

• Telephone scams (185 in the past year).

• Software service frauds (86 in the past year).

• Financial abuse known person frauds (76 in the past year).

• Most victims were contacted by telephone (64 per cent) and 25 percent in person.

Police said that in March an 82-year-old woman from Battle attempted to withdraw £7,500 to transfer to a fraudster claiming it was for his wife’s funeral.

According to officers, the bank contacted police under the Banking Protocol scheme which trains bank branch staff to watch out for signs that someone may be about to fall victim to a scam.

Police said they attended and the victim said she had received a call from someone pretending to be an officer and was told there was an ongoing investigation into her bank as money had disappeared from her account.

She was instructed to transfer all money out of the account and into a safe account, according to police.

Officers said the victim believed this to be true and attended the bank to do so whilst still on the phone to the caller. Thankfully in this instance, police said, the victim lost no money and was given prevention advice.

PC Bernadette Lawrie, financial abuse safeguarding officer for Sussex and Surrey Police said, “Sadly cases like this are all too common.

“Financial abuse against the elderly has a devastating impact and we are committed to protecting the vulnerable from such maltreatment.

“These statistics shine a light on the different ways in which elderly victims are being exploited by unscrupulous people who want to take their money.

“These despicable fraudsters shamelessly target the vulnerable. Victims can be left feeling frightened or sometimes embarrassed of being taken advantage of.

“There are steps that can be taken to protect yourself. Always double check people are who they say they are, never feel pressured to make decisions on the spot and always trust your instincts.

“We would urge anyone with elderly friends or relatives to ensure they’re aware of what to watch out for.”

Police said that as part of Operation Signature they have a number of educational resources such as the Little Book of Big Scams and a monthly newsletter detailing recent incidents in the local area.

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said, “In these particularly challenging times, people’s minds are understandably pre-occupied and many of our older residents are left feeling lonely and detached from the world around them.

“This can often lead to them letting their guard down and becoming susceptible to criminals who will then take advantage.

“This is why the operational response to these crimes by Sussex Police is so important. I’m proud of the initiative they have taken to protect and support all victims of fraud by developing Operation Signature and introducing a Banking Protocol.

“We’re seeing reporting rise as more and more people understand that scams are fraud and fraud is a crime.

“On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, it’s more important than ever to repeat the message that fraud of our elderly is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Police outlined key things to remember:

• Never send or give money to anyone you don’t know or trust.

• Check people are who they say they are.

• Don’t share personal information.

• Make decisions in your own time.

• If in doubt phone a relative or a friend.

• Trust no-one who cold calls you about your bank account or a problem with your computer.

• Under no circumstances would the bank or police: request a card PIN or security details over the telephone, or arrange collection of bank cards from a home address.

For more information, visit the Action Fraud website for advice and to report fraud. For vulnerable victims, report to Sussex Police online or by calling 101. In an emergency always dial 999.

The Little Book of Big Scams is a booklet that covers different types of fraud and explains how people can help protect themselves from them.

TrueCall, police say, is a product they support, as it blocks nuisance calls.

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