CRUEL fraudsters have pushed a lifeline lunch club to the brink.
Conmen using a foreign name virtually cleaned out an online account held by Silkstone Luncheon Club, which provides a vital social occasion for dozens of people each week.
And officials were ready to keep the group going from their own pockets rather than let members down.
Thanks to generous grants, the club is back on an even keel. But in future, banking will be done ‘face to face’.
“We don’t want to risk that happening again,” said treasurer Les Turner. “It was pretty scary for a while.”
Silkstone parish council has just agreed a £400 grant and wants to flag up the trickery as a warning to others.
The thieves got into the personal account of club chairman Stuart Jubb and, from there, into the the organisation’s own finances.
This account was only used to pay a monthly Dial-a-Ride cheque and for insurance and the Christmas meal. It had three signatories, any two to sign and the Co-op Bank had copies of the signatures.
But, using a foreign name, fraudsters took £3,000 from a balance of £3,200. “So they left us just £200,” said Mr Turner.
The theft was reported to police, the Ombudsman and Co-op Bank but with no joy. “The Ombudsman can’t trace them, neither can the police and the bank says it was not their fault,” said Mr Turner. “So we did not get any of our money back.”
Luckily, the club got £2,080 from a South Yorkshire funding organisation and £400 from the Penistone Round Table Christmas collection.
“That put us back to being OK,” said Mr Turner. “But it was a most unpleasant experience. We can’t understand why the bank let such a large amount go to a foreign name.
“We were prepared to fund the club from our own pockets to keep it going. So many people look forward to the lunches and other outings. For a lot of them it’s the only time they get out.
“The club is not under threat, but it could have been. You have to be so careful and we would hate to see this happen to others.
“We are now thinking of changing banks. And we will go for an over-the-counter service - not online. Let’s just hope this was a one-off.”
The club has 41 members - some well into their 90s - and around 36 people go the Station Inn at Silkstone Common for lunch every Monday.
Agreeing the £400 grant on Monday, the parish council praised the club’s work.
Coun Ron Stier said: “It is such a shame this happened. They do a great job and a nasty person has done ‘em.”
The Chronicle has asked the Co-op bank for a comment.
