A pensioner was tricked into handing £200 to a fraudulent couple who claimed to be part of a Covid support group helping elderly people in his local area.
William Grayson received a knock on his door from a man and woman claiming they were volunteers supporting elderly people in his hometown in Weston-Super-Mare.
The 81-year-old, who lives alone and 40-miles away from any relatives, said the two volunteers kindly offered to do shopping and errands for him while he was shielding.
They claimed they were local support workers picking up food and essential items on behalf of people who were unable to leave their homes.
Feeling grateful, he gave the young couple £200 cash over two visits for food and home essentials - neither of which ever arrived.
William said he's heartbroken that criminals would exploit the fact that he was too afraid to leave his home.
“There was a lot of confusion about lockdown, I didn’t know whether I was safe to be in my garden, let alone go to the shops,” William said.
Have you been a victim of fraud? Email your story: emma.munbodh@mirror.co.uk
“I’d seen in the local paper that volunteers were out helping people in the area. I was grateful for some friendly faces offering help,” he added.
“Realising these people were out to get me made a dark time even darker for me to be honest.”
William now doesn’t open the door to anyone unless it’s a prearranged visit from someone he knows.
His son has also since fitted a smart doorbell that films anyone who drops by.
William is one of tens of thousands of people who have been approached by Covid doorstep scammers in the recent months promising fast-tracked Covid testing, vaccines and vitamin pills that ‘protect against’ Covid-19.
In total, the crime cost victims £18.7million last year, according to Action Fraud figures. That’s despite a ban on doorstep salesmen until summer last year.
And it’s not just Covid criminals are taking advantage of.
Doorstep scams can come in many forms.
Mirror Money has heard from victims who have been targeted by fraudsters posing as landscapers, tradesmen and even engineers from reputable companies - in all cases, they asked for the money upfront.
In others, they claimed to be charity workers to tap into people’s vulnerability.
A report by consumer group Which? found 16% of the public have received unsolicited visits from someone claiming to be a salesperson or charity worker since the start of the first lockdown.
Nine per cent said that they felt the visitor was pressuring them into making a purchase or performing a certain action, such as donating.
These unexpected visits can also be unnerving - especially for elderly or vulnerable people or if the salesperson is particularly pushy.
Lucy, whose named has been changed, told the consumer group she was pleased when she received a knock on the door from landscapers offering to tidy up her front garden last July.
She didn’t think it was unusual that they asked for the money up front.
“They said they’d been working on my neighbour’s garden and thought mine looked like it could do with a bit of TLC. It was funny because I’d recently been admiring my neighbour’s new front garden,” she said.
“Apparently work had dried up a bit for them recently and they thought there was no harm in asking. I actually felt bad for them,” Lucy explained.
They showed Lucy their business’s Facebook page which had over 100 positive reviews.
It seemed a convenient option since she was busy working from home while homeschooling her two children.
She asked the traders if they could also build some decking in her back garden so her children could have more space to play in lockdown.
They took a £2,000 cash deposit from Lucy, milled around the front of the house for a couple of hours and then headed off to buy supplies. The pair never returned.
Later Lucy found out they weren’t the same traders that had worked on her neighbour’s garden. They were opportunistic fraudsters. Lucy has given up hope of getting any money back.
She explained: “They said they’d been working on my neighbour’s garden and thought mine looked like it could do with a bit of TLC. It was funny because I’d recently been admiring my neighbour’s new front garden.”
Cash transactions are also untraceable which makes the perpetrators harder to track down and bring to justice.
Adam French, Which? consumer expert said members of the public should be suspicious of anyone that knocks on their door unexpectedly.
This includes any ‘professional’ visits that you haven't arranged yourself, such as water or electric meter readings or gas engineers.
If there are any safety fears, police and Trading Standards advise calling 999.
“It’s highly concerning that doorstep scammers are back in business and looking to exploit the pandemic in every way they can. We all need to be wary of anyone who knocks on our door unexpectedly,” French said said.
“Adopting a blanket policy not to buy goods or services offered at the door is a sure-fire way to stop any would-be fraudsters in their tracks. However, if you do decide to purchase something at your door, you should ask the seller for their ID or call the company to verify their identity before making any payments.
“If you encounter a fraudster, you should report this to Action Fraud in England or call Policing Scotland on 101 in Scotland and if you have any safety fears, dial 999 immediately.”
Protect yourself from doorstep scammers
- Report it straight away
If you paid by card for services or products that were not provided, you may be able use Section 75 or chargeback rules to get a refund.
If you’re deceived into making a bank transfer to a fraudster, your bank may be able to reclaim the money, or refund you under the Contingent Reimbursement Model voluntary code. - Smart devices can deter scammers
According to Trading Standards, deterrents like CCTV cameras and ‘no doorstep sellers’ stickers in the window really are effective against scammers. - Check in with vulnerable neighbours
Check in with elderly or vulnerable neighbours and relatives to check if they’ve had people calling recently and warn them to be wary of scams.
Neighbourhood watch schemes or community groups can also be helpful for raising awareness of scams in their area. - Just say no
Adopt a blanket rule not to buy any products or services offered at the front door.
This applies to anyone that calls by who isn’t expected, or who you haven’t made an appointment for, such as water or electric meter readings or gas engineers. - If you're scared, call 999
If there are any safety fears, police and Trading Standards advise to call 999.
This also goes for particularly aggressive traders. It is banned practice for a trader to refuse to leave your property if you’ve asked although this may be justified under some circumstances, such as to enforce a contractual obligation.
