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Elderly couple victims of scams

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Scam mail: The mail received by the elderly Pembrokeshire couple

Scam mail: The mail received by the
elderly Pembrokeshire couple

THE SON of an elderly South Pembrokeshire couple who spent more than £40,000 of their life savings on fake prize draws has urged others whose family may have also been taken in by scam mail to seek help from Trading Standards.

The man, who does not wish to be named, has spent years urging his parents to ignore junk mail – to no avail.

He said: “Over the years the stress it has put on my father and mother both emotionally and financially has taken its toll on their lives. It has also had a severe impact on other members of the family as well who have tried in vain to advise and intervene in my parents’ actions.”

The problems started around 14 years ago when his father, then aged 75, responded to an advert to buy books and videos.

The couple started to receive more and more junk mail, and his father would make it a priority to respond to it – often staying up late into the night to complete the paperwork for prize draws.

Important mail, such as doctors’ appointments, utility bills, and letters from the local authority, would be completely ignored so that he could continue to respond to the scam mail.

A few years later, he started to develop dementia, and although his son tried to intervene many times, his father still believed he would win – and that he was actually working for some of the companies that were contacting him so frequently.

At the peak of the problem in 2008, the couple were receiving approximately 30 to 40 letters a day – the vast majority from overseas.

But they denied that they were responding to it and hid it all over the house – in cupboards and under the bed.

“My parents were very secretive because they had effectively been ‘groomed’ by the scammers not to tell anyone about what they were doing,” said the son, who is 62.

Over a two-year period, the best part of £9,000 was sent to 70 different companies with payments ranging from £10 to £250, often with multiple payments made on the same day.

And they continued to send money – despite receiving a letter from the Office of Fair Trading saying they were victims of a scam, and cheques returned by the Canadian Police.

At last, after lengthy negotiations with Royal Mail, the son was able to re-direct their mail. Thanks to an understanding bank manager, who made him a signatory on their bank account, he was also able to take control of their finances.

“Because of the mental health issues of my parents I was unable to gain Power of Attorney but eventually with the help of the DSS I was made an appointee for my parents, which allowed me to handle their affairs with regards to benefits, council tax, electricity etc,” he said.

He added: “Until recently when I had a meeting with Pembrokeshire Trading Standards I felt alone and climbing an uphill battle with what at times seemed insurmountable opposition from regulated authorities who would not deal with a ‘third party’ only with the person named on the bill. If you are worried or concerned about a parent or member of the family who you believe is being scammed, take heart. There are ways around the system, you have to take control of the situation and stop the flow of mail and ‘demanding letters’.”

Pembrokeshire’s Trading Standards service has held a number of surgeries throughout the county offering advice on scams, and further ones are planned.

“Scams can cause a lot of anxiety. We are urging anyone concerned about them to contact us, so that we can provide help and professional advice,” said Nigel Watts, Trading Standards, Animal Health and Welfare Manager.

Cllr Huw George, Cabinet Member Environmental and Regulatory Services, said anyone could be taken in by a scam.

“These scams are incredibly convincing and many people in Pembrokeshire are being targeted,” he said. “If you think you or your family has been affected, please seek advice. The bravest phone call is the first one to Trading Standards.”

The son added that sadly, the hoaxes are so believable that his parents are still not convinced that they were the victims of scams, despite over two years of intervention.

“Even now, if my parents were to receive another letter promising them that they are ‘A Guaranteed Winner’ of an astronomical sum of money they would continue to believe it,” he said.

There is advice on how to avoid scams on the County Council’s website at www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/ tradingstandards

If you think a member of your family or someone you care for has been affected by a scam – or if you think you have – please contact Pembrokeshire’s Trading Standards team via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506 / 040505 (for Welsh speakers).

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Rugby Weekly – Tenby’s promotion push continues

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It’s crunch time for all rugby clubs around the county, whether promotion is their aim or fighting relegation or even just trying to improve their league position, it’s now or never. 

Last weekend saw an important win for Fishguard in division two west which should put any relegation fears to bed completely. James Griffiths added an impressive 18 points for the Seagulls as they defeated Nantgaredig 33-19. 

Elsewhere in the second division, Milford were beaten 32-8 by a good Lampeter outfit. The Mariners are still a little too close for comfort with the drop zone but should have enough quality to see them safe. 

At the other end of the table Tenby sit in second place and have played fewer games than leaders St Clears and third place Lampeter. They won impressively again last weekend, beating Pontyberem 64-19 at Haywood Lane. Fletcher Broadhurst impressed with two tries as did Hywel Baker who also grabbed himself a brace. Another excellent performance in an outstanding season so far in which promotion would be the absolute icing on the cake. 

In Division Three West, Pembroke were well beaten by Laugharne 74-15 in which the outstanding Liam Price and Nico Setaro both crossed the whitewash 4 teams a piece. The latter also added 7 successful conversions. 

There was a local derby at Pill Parks where Llangwm hosted Pembroke Dock Quins and it was an exciting clash. The visitors won narrowly 28-23, Craig Barnett and Gethin Bradney both scored two tries for the Quins. The Wasps battled hard and will be proud of their performance, Gethin Thomas impressed for the hosts with two tries of his own but it wasn’t enough to secure the points. 

St David’s hosted the high flying Cardigan outfit and were unable to score in reply to the visitors 20 points, with it ending 20-0. The Saints however won’t be losing too much sleep over it as they have had a great season so far. 

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Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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