Family speak out as vulnerable 84-year-old Sheffield pensioner is scammed out of £30K by rogue traders

The 84-year- old pensioner, of Ecclesall, was so frightened, he didn't tell his family and was scared scared he would be a burden.

These rogue traders are still out there and have yet to be caught.

The victim's close relative, Diane Scarr, has spoken out so people can be aware this is going on.

The pensioner who has asked to remain anonymous, was living alone when in October 2015, a stranger knocked on his door and suggested he needed some repair work doing to his property.

He agreed to have a small amount of work done on his driveway and some pointing to brickwork, only for the traders to demand £4k in cash.

He emptied one of his bank accounts at a branch on Ecclesall Road and was heading into Sheffield city centre to try and withdraw the rest of the money from another account when he fell, and was taken to hospital with serious facial injuries.

A concerned neighbour alerted the family, who then discovered why he had been at the bank. His family were worried he might be suffering from the onset of dementia and, while helping him sort his financial affairs, uncovered what had been going on.

Dianne Scarr, a close relative of the pensioner said she what she discovered was horrifying.

She said: “Understandably, after his fall, my uncle was in a very agitated state. His memory wasn’t good, he was very confused, and we went through his paperwork to see what had been happening.

“It was evident, the more I looked at the banks statements, that this had been going on for five or six years. Repeated substandard work had been done on the house and he had paid out around £30k in cash.

“There’s cement work that has been done which has lifted straight away, appalling new windows that have holes around the edges where they haven’t been filled properly, bits of gardening – all sorts."

“I dread to think how long it would have gone on for. We’re a small family and he wasn’t even comfortable talking to us as he’s a very quiet, private man. He didn’t want to be a burden and thought we were all too busy.

“The bank apparently had their suspicions about what was happening, as people would go down to the branch with him as he drew the cash out. They had been giving him leaflets about being a victim of fraud, but my uncle was so frightened that he carried on paying these people.

“When we reported this to Trading Standards they were brilliant. They came round to see us, spoke to my uncle, and put practical measures in place such as CCTV cameras. He’s moved out now, into new accommodation elsewhere, but this has taken a massive toll on him.

“He was so frightened of running out of money and not being able to pay these people that he didn’t want to go home.

“This has been an incredibly difficult year. The sort of people who do this, and prey on the elderly and vulnerable, are absolutely despicable."

Ian Ashmore, Head of Environmental Regulation at Sheffield City Council, said: “Our priority was to make sure this vulnerable pensioner had the support he needed and to prevent him becoming a victim of these crimes in future.

“With the help of his family we were able to ensure their uncle had the necessary safeguarding support and advice from council staff. Practical measures, including CCTV and ‘no cold calling’ notices were used to help him feel safe when he first returned home.

“Protecting the vulnerable in our communities is at the heart of our work which includes investigating and prosecuting those responsible for these crimes.”