Tag: fraud

Police launch romance fraud awareness campaign

A woman whose life was torn apart when a fraudster stole over £60,000 from her family is backing a Police Scotland campaign to raise awareness of romance fraud. 

Michelle Szombara, 40, met Alan Clarkson on a dating website and within weeks he was stealing money from her.

Over four years, Clarkson manipulated and controlled his victim, who lost her home and had to declare herself bankrupt.

This type of fraud is known as a romance scam and Police Scotland is highlighting it as part of a national acquisitive crime campaign, which launched yesterday and will run for four weeks. 

It will include social media posts and digital adverts to raise awareness and give advice on how to spot a fraudster.

Michelle, from Fife, said: “My relationship with him started off with messages on a dating site. He was like any other normal person; funny and polite. We started texting back and forward and within a few weeks we met up. He turned up at my house with some spare clothes and stayed for the next four years.”

Clarkson, of West Lothian, started to claim he couldn’t access his bank account and was in debt. He sent Michelle emails he had allegedly received from financial institutions and produced fake paperwork to show he had money in another account to pay her back at some point. The fraud also affected Michelle’s parents, who handed over money to Clarkson.

“He took over the rent for my house,” said Michelle. “I ended up over £7,000 in rent arrears and my council tax wasn’t getting paid.

“It got to the stage we were living off of nothing. I was so stressed. I did every hour going at my work to be left with nothing. I had a lovely house and I lost everything.

“I was embarrassed and ashamed that I got my mum and dad involved. They worked all their days, only had a couple of years left on their mortgage and we’re now living in a council house because of him.”

Michelle said she realised something was wrong but she stayed with Clarkson to try and gain some of the money back for her parents.

In February, Clarkson was sentenced to 42 months in prison after being convicted of stealing £60,000 from Michelle and her parents between 2010 and 2014.

She said: “We had a few people saying to us things weren’t right over the years. We had doubt in the back of our mind but we didn’t want to believe it.

“My mum died before he was sentenced for this so she didn’t get to see him being sent to prison. It nearly ripped our family apart. I hate what he’s done to my family.

“My advice would be to be really cautious with everybody. Check email addresses are related to the company. Throughout the four years we were together I never met his family so always check someone’s background.” 

Romance scams are often reported as a fraud and many victims don’t come forward due to embarrassment, lack of evidence or a feeling it might have been their fault.

Police Scotland management figures from April to December 2018 show the number of reported fraud incidents, including romance scams, increased by 21 per cent, from 6,106 the previous year to 7,398.

Detective Superintendent Nicola Shepherd said: “Romance fraud is largely unreported and we want more victims to come forward. “It can have a shattering effect on people who may be embarrassed that they’ve fallen victim to a scam and don’t want to speak about their experience. 

“Criminals can be extremely convincing and they prey on people who are emotionally vulnerable, particularly online.

“It can be easy to get caught up with the attention you receive but it’s important to stop and think if a stranger’s actions are genuine.

“There are warning signs for these scams and one of them is a request for money. Don’t send money to someone you’ve never met, or even recently met, regardless of the story they tell you.

“We need to raise awareness of this type of crime and encourage people to speak to us so we can gather evidence and target offenders.”

Advice 

  • Never share or exchange personal information. Fraudsters can use this to obtain credit in your name.
  • Never share or exchange explicit photographs. Fraudsters can use this to exploit individuals.
  • Remain on the website you met them on and do not be tempted to communicate off-line. This is where scam artists operate more effectively.
  • If someone threatens you to share money with them – don’t make any payments. Stop all communication and keep all evidence of the communications you have had. This information is needed urgently to help the police tackle it.
  • Never send money or your bank details to someone you’ve met online, no matter how convincing the reason they give for needing it, nor how long you’ve been speaking to them.
  • If someone asks you for money, report it immediately to the dating platform you are using.
  • If you suspect you have been a victim of fraud, please report this to the police. We will deal with your case professionally and sensitively.

Find out more on Police Scotland’s Keep Safe section.

Stopping the scammers: united front to tackle fraud

In a step to stop scammers in their tracks and keep the public’s money safe, senior politicians, security specialists and Police Scotland joined Royal Bank CEO Ross McEwan in Edinburgh to present a united front in helping to keep Scotland safe from the growing impact of fraud and cybercrime. Continue reading Stopping the scammers: united front to tackle fraud

Doorstep Crime and Bogus Callers: advice from Police Scotland

Keep Safe from Doorstep Crime and Bogus Callers

What is doorstep crime?

From bogus callers to rogue traders, doorstep criminals are cunning, creative, and often very convincing.

Anyone can be fooled as these people are professional con artists. However, the over 60s are often specifically targeted.

What types of doorstep criminals are there?

There are two main types:

Bogus callers try to get into your home or obtain personal details by pretending to be someone they’re not, including council staff, charity collectors, meter readers and police officers. In reality, they are criminals trying to steal money and valuables.

Rogue traders usually cold-call, claiming to be workers offering to sell services, make repairs or carry out work on your house, garden or driveway. In reality they charge inflated prices for shoddy or unnecessary work.

We DO NOT recommend dealing with cold-callers for property maintenance and home repairs.

How can I spot a Rogue Trader?

  • They may tell you the work is urgent and needs to be carried out immediately.
  • They will normally ask for payment there and then and may offer to come to the bank with you if you don’t have the cash at hand.

How can I protect myself from doorstep crime?

  • Be on guard if someone turns up unexpectedly.
  • Keep front and back doors locked.
  • Use the door vieweror nearby window when answering the door.
  • Fit a door chain or bar – use it and keep it on when talking to callers at the door.
  • If you’re not sure, don’t answer the door.
  • Don’t feel embarrassed – genuine callers expect you to be careful.
  • Only let callers in if they have an appointment and you have confirmed they are genuine.
  • Always ask for identification badges of anyone you answer the door to, but don’t rely on them. Identity cards can be faked – phone the company to verify their identity.
  • Some companies offer a password system. Ask your utility providers if this can be used and if you have a password with a company make sure the caller uses it.
  • Never let people try to persuade you to let them into your home even if they are asking for help – they may not be genuine. If someone is persistent, ask them to call at another time and arrange for a friend or family member to be with you.
  • Never agree to pay for goods or give money to strangers who arrive at your door.
  • Don’t keep large amounts of money in your home.
  • Remember, it’s your home. There’s no reason why anyone should ever enter your home against your wishes.
  • If you’re not sure, don’t answer the door.

For more information about how to secure your home and the property within it, see our advice on how to Keep Your Home Safe

British Sign Language

What else can I do to stop being defrauded by a Rogue Trader?

Trading Standards advice is:

  • Don’t feel pressurised into agreeing to immediate work or buying a product or service.
  • Don’t agree to buy from the first person who calls.
  • Don’t pay cash up front or offer to go and get money.
  • Shop around if you decide you need work done.
  • Ask what your cancellation rights are.
  • Report them.

What action should I take if someone visits me and I think they’re a doorstep criminal?

  • Keep the caller out of your house, ask them to leave and call the police immediately by dialling 101.
  • You might also want to try to alert a family member or attract a neighbour’s attention but you should always contact the police first by dialling 101. The police would much rather attend a false alarm than have someone fall victim to a doorstep criminal.
  • If the person refuses to leave your door, or you feel threatened or scared – Call 999 and ask for the police.
  • Note down their description and the description of any vehicle they’re using, including make, model, colour and registration number.

How can I protect my family, friend and neighbours?

Discuss the advice on this page with family, friends or neighbours who are older or vulnerable. There are also other things you can do to help protect them against bogus callers – everyone has a part to play to keep the community safe.

  • Keep an eye out for strange vans in your neighbour’s driveway.
  • Make sure your relativesare not regularly taking large amounts of cash out of the bank.
  • Make arrangements to ensure your relative’s house looks well maintained and, for example, that it is not immediately obvious that an older person lives there alone.
  • Doorstep criminals will often target the same victim more than once, so be particularly alert if someone has previously been a victim.
  • Police Scotland has a ‘Nominated Neighbour Scheme’ which can assist those who prefer not to answer the door to those they don’t know.  Read our Nominated Neighbour leaflet.
  • Look out for your community and report any suspicious activity immediately to Police Scotland on 101 or your local authority Trading Standards.
  • For more information on doorstep crime or assistance regarding home security contact your local Community Policing Team on 101.

Bogus Phone Calls

Bogus callers can also make contact with you by phone. Get more information about this in our advice about Identity Fraud and Scams.

Further Advice

Find out more about doorstep crime by downloading our Beat Doorstep Crime campaign material here.