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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Apr 2007 : 12:38:12 PM
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If anyone can help us with this I would be so grateful.
The 'you have won £x 000 pounds, please send £19.99 as a registration fee to claim your prize', and 'I am a psychic and can help you to.... just send £10 pounds as a goodwill gesture' and 'miracle health cure...'
You know the ones.
Unfortunately, someone very close to me has become victim to these, and fully believes that the offers are true. She is parting with her money, and getting nothing for it, losing her money and suffering the disappointment of not being cured/getting £10 000 etc.
It's on a large scale - several, possibly 10-20 each week, we don't know the full scale. When this first started, she told us about them, and we did our best to convince her that it was all a scam. It caused upsets and arguments and tears, but the long and short of it is that she doesn't believe us, and thinks we are not on her side, and it just goes downhill from there. So now she hides and lies about the fact that she is replying to the mailings, swearing blind that she shreds every one. We KNOW she doesn't, and she gets someone else to post them for her (she is effectively housebound, and lives alone, and we have refused to post them. Unfortunately, that just makes her feel even more like we're all against her, and treating her like a child).
We keep going over the same things. I have today printed off advice from the consumer advise website, and will give it to her. I don't mind being the 'evil one who is not on her side' if it makes her take note. But I don't think it will be enough.
Does anyone have any advice, or can tell me where there are 'true life stories' about people who have believed it and lost out (I am so desperate I am willing to try the scare tactics, as awful as that sounds as she is a vulnerable old lady. I just don't know what else to do).
I know you will understand how distressing this is for us.
Apologies for the long post, but I am at my wits end, and very upset.
Thanks for reading. x
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Kelly
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Jenni5
Gold Member
England
849 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2007 : 1:28:40 PM
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its the too good to be true, and is nearly always the case.
waht you can do it advise your friend to block the emailer of the scam, and that stops all emails from the person sending to you. It is for the best as well, as these people might be able to get certain passwords and take over things, i don't know how they would do it, but there you go.
good luck
Jenni |
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Eunette
Gold Member
United Kingdom
629 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2007 : 1:52:44 PM
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Hello Stranger!
This sounds a bit tricky! GMTV always cover things like this so maybe have a look at their website I know they had a lady on who thought she had won the lottery in some foreign land but just got conned out of lots of money...or do a search on lyn fold woods? sp?! she investigates all these scams I think?!..If all else fails can you just offer to post the cheques but just shred them instead? I know that would be deceiptful but better maybe than her losing everything - which is sometimes what happens with these things.
thinking of you!
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toreychalk@hotmail.com |
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Grey Girl
Platinum Member
England
1554 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2007 : 5:04:03 PM
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Is there ANYONE that this person might listen to? Local vicar? Old friend? Total stranger from the CAB or Samaritans? If so, ask them to speak to her.
If they're coming by e-mail, block the e-mails,as suggested. If by post, speak to the Post Office about getting them stopped/rerouted/something.
Or maybe send one to her saying that the Powers That Be will send her Bad Luck if she carries on with them... mean, but possibly a solution.
Horrible situation, thinking of you and the lady.
Grey Girl |
 Said the little eohippus, "I´m going to be a HORSE"  |
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Bebely
Gold Member
United Kingdom
813 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2007 : 5:08:49 PM
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| Would you be able to register for mail preferences to stop junk mail from arriving in the first place? I don't know if you're allowed to do this for somebody else but there must be a way if the person is vulnerable and at risk. |
Bev |
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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2007 : 5:15:11 PM
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Thank you all for your support.
They are by post. I have looked into the Mailing Preference Service, and it would do almost no good, because she replies to them. It can only stop certain types, which was disappointing, as I thought it might be a solution.
I don't know how the people that send these letters can live with themselves, I really don't.
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Kelly
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unicorn leather
Bronze Member
England
229 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2007 : 9:17:46 PM
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Has the old lady got any relatives who could help(power of attorney)?
If she has a real problem and is being effectively "abused" by these scammers surely the powers that be can step in, have you asked Trading Standards for advice?
My mother is the world's worst for handing over money etc to anyone who can persuade her and I am so rude to them when they call or even chase them off the property if they chance their luck with a house call,they have now realised they can't get past me to get to her and I make sure she gets rid of her junk mail too.
We are on the mail preference service,e mail preference service and telephone preference service, we STILL get them but not as quite much as we used to, they only have to phone from abroad and it doesn't apply.And it can take upto 3 months to kick in once you register anyway.
Oz:)
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