Mother got a phone call.
Are you Mrs J?
Yes I am.
Is your post code S********?
yes it is.
Do you have an account with any of these banks ?
Yes.
Can you confirm the account number?
- And the sort code?
Mother phones my brother about something else & mentions this. Brother says leave phone on table, don’t hang up, he wants to check 1471, comes to see mother & goes to bank but can’t actually do anything because he isn’t on the account. I am, but NOBODY tells me!
I phone mother about something else. She tells me about the phone call but is more concerned about her washing & changing her duvet cover.
I phone the telephone bank to take the initial steps to protect mum.
“He sounded so genuine, he knew my post code and name, and he read the numbers.” Of course he did mother, electoral register/internet and YOU told HIM your details, mother, you have done just what you have been told time and again NOT to do.
“He sounded so genuine, he knew my name and post code and my numbers….” she doesn’t realise the potential enormity of what she’s done and now I have to set up ID fraud insurance for her. Is it necessary, she asks, is that what’s happened, he sounded so genuine………….
UGH
So I went to the bank. We’ve changed the account slightly and for £6 a month we both now have travel, death and breakdown insurance and most importantly, ID fraud insurance.
Then I spoke to a dishy sounding ID fraud specialist who advised me on the next few steps, including the need to talk to the police to get an incidence number. They won’t DO anything but it’s another layer of protection for mum. He didn’t think there was much of a problem and that if anybody did try to get credit, any company would think twice about giving it to an 85 year old woman & would check with her. She’s been told not to give information to anybody (AGAIN!) & he said if that happened, she’d get a letter which I would tell his company about and they would deal with it. Mum has no idea how serious this is or could be.
A timely warning indeed. If any of you have vulnerable elders, PLEASE try to get them to understand that the “nice man” might not be and to hang up or ask the “nice man” to send a letter. If he really IS a nice man, he’ll be only too happy to write.
jesika
100110
Lois Bryan
oooo Jesika!!!!!! Sooo sorry to read all this … but an excellent warning … excellently written!!! Bless your Mum!!!!!!
jesika:
It really sickens me, Lois. These evil people prey on those with least defences. Fortunately it’s been stopped before it got underway (we hope) but I don’t understand why my brother didn’t phone me after the bank manager told him he couldn’t act on mum’s behalf and only I could. If I hadn’t phoned mum, I probably still wouldn’t know………
jxx
Hertsman
There are so many of these around…very easy to get caught.
I have had 2 phone calls recently asking if my Sky TV is working…..another scam I believe.
Just say “goodbye” should be the answer given.
jesika:
Mum KNOWS this. She shreds every piece of paper with her name & address on.
“But he sounded real, he knew my name……….”
She got a call last week about paying off her debts (none) & hung up.
“He sounded so real…”
j
bioman
Kudos to you Jesika, you and Mum dodged a bullet this time, thanks for the timely reminder!
jesika:
Thanks, John, please remind any possible victims of this sort of scam how very easy it is to be deceived.
j
Bonnie T. Barry
If only people used their cleverness for good, what a different world this would be! I hope and pray Mum’s finances are safe and I’m so happy, Jesika, you keep in touch with your mother so closely. You saved the day!
jesika:
It would have been even faster, Bonnie, if my brother had bothered to turn his share of the collective grey cell on! But mum is angry with ME! “Do I really think it necessary to spend this insurance money?”
I hope YOUR parents never fall victim
jxx
Vickie Emms
oh my, yes what good advice Jes. I hope my mom in law wouldn’t fall for that trick, we have them here too!!
jesika:
It’s too easy to fall for it, Vickie, Mum simply didn’t realise SHE was giving HIM information. Name, address, phone etc are easy to get hold of on the internet. RB is the bright side, scams are the dark side. Please remind mum in law to be really vigilant and if unsure, to hang up.
jxx
H M Bascom
Those who prey on the elderly need to be flogged. You are a good daughter. xo
jesika:
Fortunately mum has help. Too many people have little if any support and the vultures, no, that’s an insult to the bird, those who steal and manipulate, know this. They also know they WILL get people to believe them and the chances of them being located are slim. Mum’s bank will now alert ME if any problems arise, hopefully they won’t.
jx
Neil Ludford
There are some real VERMIN in this world.
jesika:
It’s easier than working for a living!
j
FelicityB
Such a good job she has you on the ball – gives me goosebumps every time.
jesika:
It’s scary, isn’t it? My mind set is to say nothing to people who call ME, but mum was raised in a gentler age and at times loses conatct with her own common sense. It’s easily done and fortunately, this time, corrected.
jxx
Anthony Hedger
This was great advice to give Jesika and these leaches prey on the young as well you know so we all should watch out thanks honey.
jesika:
You are so right, Tony. The banker I saw had fallen victim herself, young, savvy, finacially aware…
jx
dougie1page2
i have had them recently both on my private account, and my paypal account, by email. the thing to remember is:- YOUR BANK WILL NEVER ASK YOU FOR YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION, IN A PHONE CALL, OR AN EMAIL!!!
great job jesika!!
jesika:
I know that, YOU know that. So do most of us, but we don’t ALL know. And the nice young man knew her name & post code, so it must be right!
jx
dougie1page2
xx
Lance Leopold
Criminals will always find a way to prey on their victims,Jesika,one would have thought electronic banking was safe and secure,but there are so many ways for the crims to fleece the public it’s not funny,glad you resolved the matter.
jesika:
It’s all so very sad, Lance, but fortunately, I’ve been able to sort things out so that if a problem DOES arise, mum won’t be liable,
jxx
robmac
The last eight years I have worked with aged people and so many of that era are trusting souls never thinking about the evil B———ards that prey on the them Part of my job was to try and instill in the their personal safety etc And believe it or not some were there own children. Made it very hard to convince them at times
jesika
I know just what you mean, Rob. As a nurse, I saw long lost children suddenly appear. They would be full of sorrow at aged parent’s imminent departure but not sorrowful enough to stop them quarrelling over what was to be *theirs" when the parent finally did the decent thing & died. Mum has learned a lesson she should never have had to face.
j
Damienne Bingham
Wow, quite an ordeal. People like that can be incredibly convincing and unfortunately these scams are showing up more and more often. Your mother is lucky that she has you and your brother to help protect her here, I’m sure she must appreciate it immensely. At least the bank and the ID fraud specialist seems to have helped you sort things out fairly quickly. I hope that is all resolution enough and nothing else untoward happens. Good on you for sharing this story, maybe it will help stop some other unsuspecting person from getting defrauded.