My stupid Fucking Father

[Itcouldbeyou]

Hi I have NC as this could be outing and please be gentle with me
I’m wondering if any of you lovely people have any advice apologies as this is long
My father 72 I would say a vulnerable person who is naive and gullible and carer to my mother who has Alzheimer’s and Dementia was contacted by phone last year by the National Lottery Centre asking him if he wanted to join a syndicate for the Irish Lottery
He very stupidly agreed and paid £700 for the year
Every two weeks or so he was then contacted by an account manager asking him if he wanted to join more syndicates for varying amounts of money
When he said he couldn’t afford it they would do a pre authorisation or a smaller amount to see what he could afford. Then they would ring back and ask to take that amount
. I believe that this phone call was recorded but the actual hard sell call wasn’t recorded . Over a period of a year he has used his life savings of around £25000 maybe more
Completely all gone from his account

While I accept that he has been the most stupid person ever and I want to kill him 😂 he is my father and murder isn’t legal so I’m stuck with him .
To be honest I am more annoyed at his bank Lloyds who never once queried these payments
My father has banked with Lloyd’s for 50 years and has never not once made any payments like this to anyone .

The only payment they have ever queried and refused to pay was his car insurance that legitimate and they stopped the payment and he had to go into the bank to authorise this payment and this was a few years ago .
So why on earth did they not stop or query any of these payments
From what I have read the banks have sophisticated fraud systems set up to alert them to unusual payments so did they not think that someone spending 2000 plus in one go every month a bit unusual

I’m asking because whenever I buy or do something that’s not within my spending pattern my card is stopped and I get a call or a text asking me if I have authorised this payment .
I couldn’t even use my card when on holiday recently as it was out of my usual spending pattern
On occasions stuff from Amazon has been cancelled because of the fraud alert
When googling them The

Lottery Centre is based in the Isle of Man and other elderly people have had exactly the same thing happen cold call and then regular amounts taken
I can’t call it a scam as he authorised the payments but like the others he was elderly and was pressured by hard sell to do so and is also a fucking idiot

However it’s the bank that I’m really annoyed with
Any advice on if I am able to complain to the bank about their lack prevention of unusual transactions on an account would be much appreciated

FaveNumberIs2
I have no interest in my parent inheritance
I am financially secure. No mortgage and kids grown up several BTL properties with my husband and a business
In fact my parents will is set up to bypass myself and go to my son and my sister so I won’t actually get anything and I’m happy with that .

I am upset that he has been scammed
and it’s me that’s picking up the pieces and I’m struggling with it all as it’s completely alien to me .
I have taken onboard all the advice I have been given and I’m working with it

ceoemail.com/s.php?id=ceo-9304&c=Lloyds%20Banking%20Group-CEO

you don't have to defend yourself anyone who has read the whole thread will understand

here is a link

www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/for-the-public/Your-rights/Complaints.aspx

The thing is he may have authorised the payments so according to the bank it's all legit.

You will need to write a letter of complaint to the bank and get them to investigate. Any authorisations should be recorded.

Also I have read through the posts but no one has recommended watchdog. That may also be worth a try especially if others have reported it.

Have you checked that a direct debit or standing order hasnt been set up as that would only need to be authorised once.

Of course it's a scam. No legitimate company would behave like this. Your dad being slightly naive is no justification. Go to the police.

Thank you SusieOwl4. For the link
Throughthenever no direct debits I’ve checked
They have more than enough money to live on so they won’t be at the food bank 😂 although with my dads mobility and eyesight I don’t think he would make it 😂

They have decent private pensions state pensions and both get Attendance Allowance and the house is paid for and no debt so they won’t be starving

To avoid this happening again you can buy a cold call blocker only approved numbers can get directly though. You can buy them on amazon, in Some districts in Scotland you can get them for free off the council .. maybe worth a look to completely stop this happening again ?

I've read most of the thread and I fear that there are some well-meant but probably ineffective things here.

If you feel that the bank should have been alert to the payments then you ned to go through the bank's complaints procedures. Martin Lewis and the CEO of the bank and everyone else will do this.

You will need to provide a timeline of what happened. Keep it factual. No allegations. When were accounts set up, what payments have been made.

You should also say what you would consider to be an acceptable resolution. If you want all the money back, say so.

You can discuss this in a branch but for something of this scale they will want it in writing, so spend your energy doing that.

If you are not satisfied having exhausted the bank's process then the Ombudsman is there. Their job is to decide if the bank's procedures and relevant legislation were followed, not to make a moral judgement on whether or not your dad too up the syndicate membership.

Stay calm, stay focused, don't get angry with your dad or the people in the branch, and good luck.

If you feel that the bank should have been alert to the payments then you need to go through the bank's complaints procedures. Martin Lewis and the CEO of the bank and everyone else will do this.

I meant - will tell you to do this.

Blokehereinpeace
That’s what i am doing this week
I am venting online but I’m actually calm and rational.
Thanks again for the advice

I haven’t read all the posts but have you (well it would have to be your father )made a formal complaint . You could drive it and if you get no joy complain to the banking ombudsman. Crikey last week I opened an online betting account with a fiver and bet £1 on one of the teams to win because by doing so I could stream a match my son was playing in. I’m no gambler. The bank rang my landline and my mobile and when they got no answer text me to ask me to contact them. I’m pleased they did.

Contact Moneybox on Radio 4 and they will swiftly sort this out for you.

Just want to add OP that it is still a scam because your father was misled and the scammers used a false identity to con him and take his money. Scam written all over it.

God, this is awful. Makes me sick to think of these low life scumbags taking people's life savings

We had something with my gran. She lived alone right up until the end, but my aunt did her finances each month. Found at the end of one month that gran had written out 5 cheques for £100 each to a charity door knocker, who'd obviously got lucky once and kept going back. Makes me so angry, they'd have know what they were doing.

I hope you manage to get you DF's money back

Try the Martin Lewis website for advice on the forums

No advice.

You're not alone. My best friend's mother did this. Your amount times 10.

So sorry. It's elder abuse. They are targeted on purpose.

As well as making a formal complaint to your Dad’s bank & the relevant financial regulator, identify the top consumer journalist(s) & contact them. This is a national media story & there will no doubt be many more cases that will come forward.

It’s good your Dad told you. Imagine how many elderly people have been scammed like this & are too embarrassed to tell their family.

Hope you can get your Dad’s money back.

Lovemenorca

Your father is a Carer to your mother who had dementia and Alzheimers

And you think it is ok to describe him as “your fucking father

Oh ffs - yes in the circumstances op is managing to retain some lighthearted affectionate humour - so fuck off Menorca.

OP, you need to look at the records to make sure the parental home hasn't been remortgaged and that there are no liens against it.

Do a credit check on your dad and mum too, to make sure nobody is living it up on a CC in their name.

If I were you I would be leaving no stone unturned - you have no idea what information your dad may have given out to people who have phoned him without thinking there was any significance to it.

Aside from practical advice which I think has been covered, I just wanted to say how hard it can be when your parents are getting older. My DM is 77 and on her own. She is smart but not tech savvy and my DF handled all the finances until he died. Since he died, the number of cold calls and dodgy calls has gone through the roof and some of them are really clever.

It is really hard getting the balance right between protecting them and not patronising or undermining them. I don't want my mum to feel weak or stupid but I also want to protect her.

If you can't get the money back, do try not to make him feel like a fool or that he has disappointed you. He has a lot on his plate (as do you) and it sounds like you have things covered between you.

Good luck

I work for Lloyds bank & unfortunately we see cases like this regularly
my advice is do not email the CEO. He won’t look at it & all that will happen is it will be passed to a complaints manager who then have to follow the ombudsman’s complaints guidelines & timescales. I would go to my local branch & ask to sit down with a member of staff who can help with fraud, they will ring through the fraud department & go from there.
The problem is unfortunately your dad authorised the transactions however if you feel he is a vulnerable customer they do take it seriously & potentially you will get the money back. This will be far quicker and less hassle than following the complaints procedure. If they decline to reimburse the transactions then definitely follow the complaints procedure.
Are you considering setting power of attorney for your dad on his finances? It may be worth considering so you can check regularly and any issues sort out yourself without worrying him also.
Good luck and any help feel free to pm me

It may well be a scam and they may be guilty of obtaining property by deception. Go to the police now - please.

Feel free to pm me. I've had experience dealing with Lloyds on a very similar matter l last year for my mum.

@Itcouldbeyou
On Twitter out them. Name names (scammers & Lloyds - state your case, name names & tag Lloyd’s (@Lloyds). Ask for advice - there may be a real chance that you could get DF’s money back. Do the same on Facebook & even Instagram. I’d even go to the police. Couldn’t hurt.
Good luck.

I think doesn't really matter that he authorised the payments. Its the child calling and pressure selling. I don't think it's the banks fault. You need to go after this lottery company.