A PENSIONER with dementia was left with just £30 in her bank account after cruel fraudsters peddling ‘miracle health cures’ cleared her out of thousands of pounds in a relentless campaign lasting several years.
Police told the Chronicle the shocking case of Barbara Evitts, formerly of Hadfield Street, Wombwell, was one of the worst of its kind and represented an example of a ‘growing problem’.
The 88-year-old moved into a care home four weeks ago having endured about eight years of torment from companies around the world.
Her son Paul discovered hundreds of boxes crammed with expensive medication, superfoods and health remedies in a bedroom having grown concerned by her reluctance to allow him upstairs.
He told the Chronicle some boxes cost up to £500 and estimated the fraudsters - from the UK, Africa and America - got away with thousands of pounds over the years.
“I first found a gourmet food parcel downstairs which cost £125. That was just the start, as everything else was stored upstairs. I only uncovered the full extent of it when my mum went into hospital.
“On one occasion I intercepted a phone call from a scammer who was asking for bank details, but when I questioned him on that and told them to stop ringing, he just said he’d call back when I wasn’t there.
“It’s been a nightmare - those responsible are very aggressive on the phone and have absolutely no morals, praying on the elderly and vulnerable. If I struggled to get rid of them on the phone due to how pushy they were, my mum had no chance as she couldn’t make decisions anymore.”
Paul, 59, revealed his mother’s bank account was left with just £30 following the ordeal, and South Yorkshire Police said Mrs Evitts’s case was the ‘worst of its kind’ due to the number of items and length of time the fraudsters took advantage for.
Andy Foster, protection officer for financial-related matters, said: “Fraudsters bleed people dry and it’s a huge, growing problem in Barnsley and South Yorkshire as a whole. I would say this is the worst miracle health cure scam I’ve seen and 98 per cent of similar cases involving fraud of this type affects the over 70s.
“It’s only getting worse and we’re seeing up to 600 cases per month in South Yorkshire.
“It gets to the point where the victim haemorrhages cash and the impact on both them and their family is huge. In many cases, as we have seen with this one, the victim is left embarrassed, ashamed and simply doesn’t want to tell people that they’ve fallen for the scam.
“Fraud kills, and once you’re a victim and they know they can take advantage, more often than not the information is sold to other criminals and the cycle begins again. It’s heartbreaking.”
MP for Barnsley East, Stephanie Peacock, added: “It’s a disgrace that, whether online or in person like this shocking case, often elderly people are taken advantage of by reprehensible criminals with no regard to the lives or welfare of the victims. I support the police wholeheartedly in their efforts to tackle this inexcusable practice.
“I encourage everybody to take every precaution against fraudsters for themselves and any potentially vulnerable family or friends, and contact my office if any help is required.”
