'˜TRULY DESPICABLE': 81-year-old woman scammed out of almost £4,500

An 81-year-old woman has been scammed out of almost £4,500 in a '˜truly despicable' crime.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Jul 2016, 13:36 BST
Updated 25th Aug 2016, 19:09 BST
Fraudsters gained access into Mrs Legges computer in a crime which saw her lose nearly £4,500.Fraudsters gained access into Mrs Legges computer in a crime which saw her lose nearly £4,500.
Fraudsters gained access into Mrs Legges computer in a crime which saw her lose nearly £4,500.

Kathleen Legge, of Fairfield Drive, Chesterfield, was targeted by a fraudster claiming to work for telecommunications company TalkTalk.

The criminal said the firm had detected problems with her PC and needed to fix it so Mrs Legge allowed him remote access into her computer.

The scam resulted in her losing £4,400.

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Mrs Legge said: “At the time of taking the call, I wasn’t suspicious – alarm bells didn’t ring at all.

“Now, I don’t feel very good about it – I’m not happy.

“It’s a lot of money and I’ve spoken to various different people and organisations but it doesn’t look like I’ll get it back.

“I’m now writing a letter to the Financial Ombudsman which is my last resort.”

Mrs Legge added: “I’d like to raise awareness about crimes like this and urge other people to be vigilant and suspicious when they get a phone call from someone claiming to be from a company.

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“You can always put the phone down and call the real company to find out if they have just phoned.”

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins is helping Mrs Legge in her bid to get her money back.

He said: “This is a truly despicable crime.

“Fraudsters deliberately target older and more vulnerable people.

“I thank Mrs Legge for bravely speaking out about what happened to her to help warn others to be vigilant against potential scam artists.

“I hope Mrs Legge’s money can be recovered.”

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A TalkTalk spokesman said: “We’re very sorry to hear that Mrs Legge has been targeted by criminals.

“To help our customers protect themselves from scam callers, we launched a nationwide campaign to provide guidance and tips.

“The Beat the Scammers campaign, in partnership with Get Safe Online, will help customers become more vigilant of the main tactics criminals will use to try and retrieve personal information, such as pretending to be from a trusted brand or creating a sense of panic.”

For more information about the the campaign, visit www.talktalk.co.uk/beat-the-scammers

For further advice, visit the Action Fraud website at www.actionfraud.police.uk

Report cases of fraud or attempted fraud to police on 101.