Elderly woman defrauded out of upwards of £250,000 life savings in Newry as PSNI urge extreme caution

After an older person was defrauded out of their life savings, the Police Service of Northern Ireland is warning the public to be on their guard against financial crime.

Detective Inspector Moffett, of Serious Crime Branch, said: “On Thursday, 21st May, we received a report that a Newry woman aged in her 70s had invested in what she believed was a crypto-currency scheme which she had seen advertised online.

"After initially sending a relatively small amount, the woman then ‘invested’ larger amounts on a number of occasions after the criminals convinced her that she needed to send more in order to get her initial investment back.

"After she unknowingly downloaded malware at their instruction, they were able to gain control of her electronic devices and, we believe, transfer further sums from her account.

“Our investigation to date indicates that this woman has, unfortunately, lost upwards of £250,000.”

Superintendent Joanne Gibson, Chair of the Scamwise Partnership, says taking a moment to stop and check any financial activity can make a real difference. “The Police Service of Northern Ireland will use every available resource to protect individuals and communities from the harm caused by fraud and exploitation but I would also ask family members to take the time to have a conversation with their family members about fraud in order to try and safeguard them against criminals.

“We know that this type of crime can have a far-reaching impact, but we can all work together to protect and prevent this from happening to those we care about.

“Fraudsters can be extremely convincing and use a variety of scenarios to make people believe them to be genuine.

"They are master manipulators.”

Superintendent Gibson continued: “If you are concerned by the intent of a person involved with someone you care about, you can report to police on the non-emergency number 101. We will listen and we will act. Any abuse of that trust will be treated with the utmost seriousness.”

“If you have received unsolicited calls, emails or letters then please report it to Report Fraud via their website https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/ or by phoning 0300 123 2040, or, again, you can call police on the non-emergency number 101.

"You should also report any suspected fraudulent financial activity to your bank at the first opportunity, to allow them to take action.”