Chilling scam warning as heartbroken widowed grandad, 80, loses £17,000 savings

16 February 2024 , 12:43

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John was scammed in April 2019 as he prepared for a major move across the country

A widowed grandfather was devastated after he lost £17,000 to an impersonation scam.

John Fillingham, 80, says his mental health was left "in tatters" after falling for the con in April 2019. At the time, John was preparing for a major 300 mile move from Essex to North Yorkshire to be closer to his children. He was packing his home one Friday when he received a call from someone who claimed to be from his bank.

The caller told John that someone was trying to access his account and spend his money and that he needed to move it to a safe account. The former engineering designer, who had lived alone since his wife died in 2009, was sceptical of the caller but they were armed with security questions which lowered his guard so he did what they said and moved the cash.

John told the Mirror: "It was a Friday and I was sorting things out ready for my move when the phone rang. They said they were my bank and someone was using my card and I had to move my money to keep it safe."

However, after the call, John felt uneasy and tried ringing the number back but it was disconnected - that’s when he realised it was a scam. He added: "I didn’t have time to think so I did it, it was when I hung up and tried calling them back that I grew suspicious."

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Before realising he had made a mistake, John had moved over two payments totalling £17,000 to another account through his online banking. He headed down to his local bank branch the very next day to ask for help, but was told there was nothing they could do. He later received a letter from his bank telling him that the money had been traced but they were unable to recover it.

He said: “I was told I’m not covered, it’s my fault because I used my own computer to move the money. I was banked elsewhere but my new one bought that bank and sent loads of information about my account but no one ever reads these 20 page documents so I didn’t know what their policy was. They gave me a free overdraft but that was it. I went home and just accepted it was their policy. I sat and resented it for a while but then Covid hit and I just had to move on."

Like the rest of the country, John powered through the Covid lockdowns, however, during this time he also received a bowel cancer diagnosis. As time continued to pass, John said he had "lost all hope" of ever getting his money back. He ended up contacting CEL Solicitors who offer to represent individuals who have been scammed on a "no win no fee" basis. If successful, they charge a fee of 25%.

But if you have been scammed, you should first follow your bank’s official complaints process first - as this is free to do. Put your complaint in writing so you have a record of your incident. If your complaint isn’t sorted out in eight weeks, or you get a final response letter that you're not happy with, you can take your case to the Financial Ombudsman for free.

In 2022, three years after he was initially scammed, John finally received his money back, including interest, which he then used to pay for legal fees and other costs relating to his move from Clacton-on-Sea to North Yorkshire. He said: "It felt so good to get it back and I am financially secure again, it feels like justice has been done”

At the time he was scammed, John says he didn't think he was a "soft touch" and added: "I spent my life as an Engineering Designer and this knocked my confidence. It was absolutely awful mentally. Now I think the bank probably would flag it or try to stop it. The catchphrase ‘duty of care’ is bandied around a lot now but it wasn’t then."

Since receiving his money back, John believes he was targeted again by scammers using a similar technique, but he and his daughter were firm in saying no and putting the phone down. Paul Hampson, chief executive of CEL Solicitors noted that what John experienced was all too common as scammers use "convincing and sophisticated tactics" to earn trust and swindle people out of their money. Alongside this, scammers put pressure on John to move his money quickly which is a tactic often used in scams and fraud.

Paul said: "If a number calls you claiming to be your bank, stop and think. Tell the caller you will call them back on the number on the back of your card or on the bank’s website. If the caller is persistent in keeping you on the phone, it should send alarm bells ringing. A genuine bank employee would not pressure or rush you into moving money.” Mr Hampson also suggests familiarising yourself with your bank’s policies and procedures, so you know how your bank would contact you about any suspicious activity.

What to do if you think you’ve been scammed

If you think a scammer has got hold of your bank details, contact your bank straight away. You can call the 159 hotline, which will connect you to your bank. Passwords that have been leaked or compromised should be changed immediately. Make sure you report scams and fraud to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or through the Action Fraud website.

If you're in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or on the Advice Direct Scotland website. You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101.