Three scammers arrested after targeting elderly victims
Three men have been arrested on suspicion of defrauding elderly victims out of almost one million pounds via a doorstep trading scam. The men, aged in their 40s, were arrested following a series of early morning warrants carried out by the Metropolitan Police Service, in partnership with Brent and Harrow Trading Standards and South Wales Police on Wednesday, 9 May. The suspects were taken to West London and South Wales police stations where they remain in custody. The early morning warrants form part of a multi-agency operation, which was set up to target a criminal network believed to be responsible for a series of frauds in which elderly homeowners have been convinced to pay huge sums of money for unnecessary building work to their homes and further scams. The Met’s new Organised Crime Advisers, detectives from the Met’s Organised Crime Command, officers from Brent and Harrow Trading Standards and colleagues in South Wales worked together to identify, target and arrest those believed to be involved in the scam. The alleged victims, aged between 85 and 92, reside in Harrow, Enfield, Hertfordshire and Essex, but the Met and Trading Standards are appealing for more potential victims to come forward. DC Zara Baker from the Met’s Organised Crime Command said: “The elderly and vulnerable have a right to feel safe from scammers. “Today’s operation highlights the commitment of the Metropolitan Police and its partners to tackle this kind of criminality and shows that our new organised crime advisers will take action against those involved in organised criminal activity in order to safeguard vulnerable members of our community.” Simon Legg, Senior Trading Standards Service Manager at Brent and Harrow Trading Standards said: ‘We wish to make it clear that those who prey on the elderly or vulnerable extracting money for unnecessary building works and other fraudulent scams will not be tolerated.” Anyone who thinks they may have been a victim is advised to contact police on 101.
