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A former police community support officer living with dementia has told how he was persuaded by fraudsters to hand over almost £2,000, despite being aware of the methods used by scammers.
Peter Middleton, 70, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2019, He was contacted by scammers who called his home phone claiming to be from the fraud department of his bank, Barclays.
After some back and forth, they said Mr Middleton had received a new bank card within the past two days, which was true, and provided the last four digits.
Peter Middleton, 70, suffers from dementia and was targeted by scammers claiming to be from his bank.
They explained that while they were members of the fraud team, they were investigating an internal fraud by members of the team and that they would need Mr. Middleton’s assistance.
Still unhappy with the legitimacy of the call, Mr Middleton said he would call again from another phone.
“I know that if I hang up the phone and call back on the same phone, there’s a chance that if I don’t end the call properly, they can take over any other calls I make,” she told This is Money.
Scammers can divert calls by redirecting all calls to or from the victim’s phone to their number. However, it appears that the scammers were successful in intercepting Mr Middleton’s call on this occasion.
“Slowly, they uncovered a story about someone from the fraud department who was abroad and was trying to transfer money from my account. They said they had made two attempts in the last few days but had been blocked,” he explains.
“I was asked to complete one of those transactions to find out where the money was going. I thought, ‘That sounds reasonable, how do I do that?'”
They spent almost an hour and a half talking to me and grooming me. They took me to
Mr Middleton, who was a police community support officer for the last 12 years of his working life and previously worked in IT, says he wanted to help them “as a good citizen”.
The fraudsters asked the pensioner to transfer money from his current account to what they claimed was the bank account of the fraud department manager.
He was warned that Barclays would question the payment but would authorise it, saying it was for a family member.
“Now that I think about it, I acted like a fool, but they were very convincing. They spent almost an hour and a half talking to me and preparing me, and they tricked me.”
Mr Middleton handed over the £1,800 into his current account and when Barclays contacted him to ask about the payment, he said it was being made to an aunt.
It was only when Mr Middleton mentioned the interaction to his wife that she realised it could have been a scam.
Convincing: The scammers managed to calm Mr Middleton’s concerns and persuade him to hand over £1,800, despite him being experienced in dealing with fraud victims as PCSO.
“I have been involved in helping victims of fraud many, many times, but I have never heard of a fraud of this nature and with such cleverness,” he told This Is Money.
‘The person was very attentive and very good at what he did. He understood me perfectly and took advantage of the fact that I wanted to help.
“Everything made me feel comfortable and they told me how useful it was because this was a serious fraud and there were vulnerable people who were becoming victims. I wanted to help.”
Even now, Middleton doesn’t understand how the scammers managed to find out his information and target him. “I’m very careful to destroy any information I get from the bank before I get rid of it. I’m concerned about security,” he says.
People with dementia are at “higher risk” of being victims of scams
Fraud is the most common crime in the UK and one of the most common types is authorised push payment (APP) fraud, when fraudsters trick victims into transferring money from their accounts.
The Alzheimer’s Society says people with dementia are at greater risk of being scammed because they find it harder to manage money and assess risks.
Dr Tim Beanland, the charity’s director of knowledge and learning, said: ‘Anyone can fall victim to a scam, but for the nearly one million people living with dementia in the UK today, this can leave them at greater risk of financial abuse.
‘Dementia can affect people’s confidence in managing their money, make them less able to judge risk and some symptoms can also result in lower literacy or numeracy skills.
‘Deceiving vulnerable people for financial gain is deplorable, but sadly it is something criminals do every day using high pressure or increasingly sophisticated tactics, as in Peter’s case where he genuinely believed he was speaking to his bank’s fraud department.
‘That’s why it’s incredibly important for people like Peter to share their personal experiences of financial abuse, to highlight its prevalence and variety, how to stay safe, as well as the support and services available to anyone who believes they’ve been scammed.’
The part of me that wanted to do my civic duty overrode the part of me that was cautious.
Middleton says: “When you have dementia, you know you’re heading towards cognitive decline and from time to time you come across situations that make that very clear. That was one of those times when it was very difficult to accept.
“I think part of me, throughout the whole process, even on the phone call, was feeling like if it wasn’t legitimate, what would happen? But the part of me that wanted to do my civic duty overrode the part of me that was cautious. I felt, and still feel, horrible. I feel like a complete clown.”
Fortunately for Mr Middleton, Barclays refunded the £1,800 sent to the fraudsters.
But there are broader questions about what protections banks put in place for those living with illnesses and disabilities.
How can people with dementia and banks prevent fraud?
We asked Barclays what it had put in place to protect those suffering from cognitive impairment.
He said he always encourages customers to reach out if they have any illness or disability that could “impact their ability to use banking services or make them more vulnerable.”
Barclays says there are also options to give family members and caregivers access to accounts, either directly or by letting the bank know they have legal authority, such as a power of attorney.
A power of attorney is a document that gives one person the authority to make decisions about another person’s finances and property on behalf of another person. You can apply for one on the Government website.
A power of attorney is not like a joint bank account, and an agent can only help manage the person’s account in the way that person wants. Essentially, they have no legal right to any money.
If someone no longer has the mental capacity to make their own financial decisions and is therefore unable to apply for a Power of Attorney, the Court of Protection can appoint a representative to act on their behalf.
Barclays also offers its customers the option to invite someone to be an additional cardholder or account supervisor, although that person must be a Barclays customer.
An account supervisor can set controls such as maximum spending, transaction and withdrawal limits, and controls on where spending can occur.
Memory problems can reduce awareness or understanding that a crime has been committed or make it difficult to remember details and therefore report the incident.
We also asked Barclays what processes are in place specifically for vulnerable victims of fraud, particularly those suffering from cognitive impairment, but it did not respond to our request.
More information on how to spot scams and what people should do if they are tricked by fraudsters can be found by calling the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Supportline (0333 150 3456).
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