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An 80 year old widowed grandad has lost his life savings of £17,000 to a cruel scam. John Fillingham’s world turned upside down when he was tricked by a fake bank call.
John, who had been living on his own since his wife passed away in 2009, was getting ready for a big move from Essex to North Yorkshire to be near his family. While packing up his house, he got a phone call.
The person on the other end said they were from his bank and that someone was trying to take his money, the Mirror reports. They told him he needed to move his money to keep it safe.
The retired engineering designer was careful at first, but the caller knew all the right security questions. So, John did what they told him and transferred his money.
John shared with the Mirror: “It was a Friday and I was sorting things out ready for my move when the phone rang. They said they were my bank and someone was using my card and I had to move my money to keep it safe.”
But after he hung up, something didn’t feel right. When he tried to call the number back, it didn’t work. That’s when he knew it was a scam. He said: “I didn’t have time to think so I did it, it was when I hung up and tried calling them back that I grew suspicious.”
John, who had mistakenly transferred two payments totalling £17,000 to a different account, was told by his bank that they couldn’t help him recover the money. He said: “I was told I’m not covered, it’s my fault because I used my own computer to move the money. I was banked elsewhere but my new one bought that bank and sent loads of information about my account but no one ever reads these 20 page documents so I didn’t know what their policy was. They gave me a free overdraft but that was it. I went home and just accepted it was their policy. I sat and resented it for a while but then Covid hit and I just had to move on.”
During the Covid lockdowns, John also found out he had bowel cancer. As time went on, he lost all hope of getting his money back. Eventually, he reached out to CEL Solicitors, who represent scam victims on a “no win no fee” basis, charging a 25% fee if successful.
In 2022, three years after he was initially scammed, his money was recovered including interest. John received the full £17,000 which was money he had put aside for legal costs and other things to do with his move from Clacton-on-Sea to North Yorkshire. He said: “It felt so good to get it back and I am financially secure again, it feels like justice has been done”
At the time he was scammed, John says he didn’t think he was a “soft touch” and added: “I spent my life as an Engineering Designer and this knocked my confidence. It was absolutely awful mentally. Now I think the bank probably would flag it or try to stop it. The catchphrase ‘duty of care’ is bandied around a lot now but it wasn’t then.”
Since receiving his money back, John believes he was targeted again by scammers using a similar technique, but he and his daughter were firm in saying no and putting the phone down. Paul Hampson, chief executive of CEL Solicitors noted that what John experienced was all too common as scammers use “convincing and sophisticated tactics” to earn trust and swindle people out of their money. Alongside this, scammers put pressure on John to move his money quickly which is a tactic often used in scams and fraud.
Paul warned: “If a number calls you claiming to be your bank, stop and think. Tell the caller you will call them back on the number on the back of your card or on the bank’s website. If the caller is persistent in keeping you on the phone, it should send alarm bells ringing. A genuine bank employee would not pressure or rush you into moving money.” Mr Hampson also advises everyone to understand how their bank works and how they would contact customers.
Remember if you have been tricked into sending your money somewhere because of a fraud, your bank should give this money back to you. This type of trick is called an “Authorised Push payment (APP)” and there are special rules about it which started in 2019 these are set to become official rules in October 2023.
If you can’t get your money back and feel that it’s unjust, then all banks have a complaints process that you should follow. If the bank still hasnt resolved everything after eight weeks, or you receive a final letter, then you can go to the Financial Ombudsman. They can help put things right.
So what should you do if you think you’ve been tricked?
If you believe a scammer has your bank details, get in touch with your bank immediately. You can ring the 159 hotline to connect with your bank. If your passwords have been leaked or compromised, change them straight away. Report any scams or fraud to Action Fraud by dialling 0300 123 2040, or via the Action Fraud website.
For those in Scotland, report scams through Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or on their website. Scams can also be reported to Police Scotland on 101.
This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speed up the Daily Express editorial research. A Daily Express editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors here
