16th April 2018 – Financial Abuse

A con woman tricked a vulnerable man into handing over his bank cards, which she then maxed out.

The defendant defrauded the victim of more than £10,000, opening bank and online gambling accounts, store cards, and mobile phone contracts in his name, and intercepting and opening the victims mail. The defendant offered to help the victim, who was in his 60s and suffering from ill health, clear his garden. Following this, the defendant offered to do some shopping for the victim, and was given his credit card which the defendant failed to return.

A few days after this, the defendant was given a second bank card which again she failed to return. The defendant pleaded guilty to eleven counts of fraud and three counts of theft of credit cards and a bank book. She was given an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years and was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.