New scheme introduced to help older victims of fraud in South Derbyshire

Alan Charles, Derbyshire’s police and crime commissioner, has launched a new scheme in the county, which will help older people who have been effected by fraud. Expert help will be provided to those who have fallen victim to fraud criminals in order to make sure that their finances are better safeguarded for the future.

The joint initiative has been put together by the Citizens Advice Bureau, Derbyshire County Council Trading Standards and Age UK, which is hoping to raise awareness of the potential risks to older people. This includes mass-marketing, as well as internet, doorstep and telephone scams. Aside from fraud, older people can also be victimised by high pressure selling, which all reputable companies make sure to avoid.

Helping older people to avoid being targeted again

The average age of the scam victims was found to be 77, and more than 90 per cent of these people lived alone or had recently become widowed. Fraud criminals are targeting some of the most vulnerable people in society, highlighting that more needs to be done in order to raise awareness of these specific crimes.

Each victim was found to have lost an average of £3,500 during the crime, which can be devastating, especially for those with smaller pensions or incomes. In the past twelve months, it was also revealed by Trading Standards that 300 residents in the county had been found on an ‘easy target’ list, who Derbyshire Scam Watch have now started to help. This list contained 100,000 people nationwide and has resulted in repeated contact to victims from criminal communities across the world, according to the Burton Mail.

To learn how to protect yourself from fraud, make sure to read our handy guide here.

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