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Original poster

To think many fell for the Captain Tom scam

532 replies

Binjob118 · 12/11/2023 21:47

I never understood all the fuss about Captain Tom. A rich old man walked around his garden and was lauded as a hero. Family then go on freebie holiday to Barbados whilst rest of us were locked down for Christmas. Then it turns out he was part of family scam to pay the family from book proceeds. No wonder so many people in this country are targeted by scammers, we are a gullible lot.

OP posts:
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Americano75 · 12/11/2023 21:51

I'm watching the doc right now and cringing like fuck all over again.

Carsarelife · 12/11/2023 21:51

I think at the time people were willing to cling onto anything. Any bit of hope that this Covid wasn't as miserable as we were led to believe

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 12/11/2023 21:52

I think it started out well - he was making a personal effort and trying to raise some money - not a scam. When it got publicised, and donations rocketed, I think that was entirely unintentional on his part.

Sadly, it didn’t stay that way - and I don’t think Captain Tom was to blame for that - clearly others were.

crankit · 12/11/2023 21:52

Was he in on it then ? Was it all a scam from the start ?

Gro · 12/11/2023 21:53

I think the daughter was the scammer not him.

Original poster
Binjob118 · 12/11/2023 21:54

One thing I don't get is why we don't question things if someone is older and 'respectable'. I actually never had a good feeling about him, I don't know much about him and I can't put my finger on it....

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Neriah · 12/11/2023 21:55

I think the family exploited it. But actually I blame the press. They were, at the instigation of the government, ready to mega-hype any ridiculous story that played in the narrative that we all had to comply / clap for the NHS or whatever else rubbish they came up with. Drew a lot of attention from the fact that years of lack of investment in healthcare led to deaths in a pandemic when they were warned years before that this could all happen and we weren't prepared.

Original poster
Binjob118 · 12/11/2023 21:56

crankit · 12/11/2023 21:52

Was he in on it then ? Was it all a scam from the start ?

I don't know, but traits like greed tend to run in families. She said he was the one who wanted the book money to go to the family.

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ScrubMommy · 12/11/2023 21:57

Some posters tried to raise it on here at the time and they were completely drowned out and vilified!

Neriah · 12/11/2023 21:57

Binjob118 · 12/11/2023 21:56

I don't know, but traits like greed tend to run in families. She said he was the one who wanted the book money to go to the family.

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Seems like people are still gullible. You believe her? Cos the facts will be kind of hard to check, on account of him being dead.

IhearyouClemFandango · 12/11/2023 21:57

Yeah, it was such a blatant scam. It played to so many things so many Brits love.

Saschka · 12/11/2023 21:58

Binjob118 · 12/11/2023 21:56

I don't know, but traits like greed tend to run in families. She said he was the one who wanted the book money to go to the family.

Show quote history

Well she would say that, wouldn’t she?

Hardly going to say “my dad wanted the money to go to the NHS, but I diverted it into my own pocket, bwahahaha!”

CaroleSinger · 12/11/2023 21:59

It turned our attention away from all the disgraceful behaviour Boris and his cronies were up to. That's how the media works, look over there, look over there, don't look over here!

Loubelle70 · 12/11/2023 21:59

I said from beginning when his daughter and family were on tv next to tom ...'theyre on the make ' and i was right

Original poster
Binjob118 · 12/11/2023 22:00

Neriah · 12/11/2023 21:57

Seems like people are still gullible. You believe her? Cos the facts will be kind of hard to check, on account of him being dead.

Show quote history

I probably don't believe her, but I think he at the very least loved the attention. He'd also appeared on a game show years ago. She couldn't have thought much of him if she did lie about him!! What a sorry bunch.

OP posts:
Zanatdy · 12/11/2023 22:02

I don’t think it’s fair to blame a dead 100yr old guy here. Hannah IM claims he wanted the family to have the money from the autobiography but how do we know that’s true? It’s the family to blame and it certainly didn’t start out as a scam

Elvis1956 · 12/11/2023 22:04

Neriah · 12/11/2023 21:55

I think the family exploited it. But actually I blame the press. They were, at the instigation of the government, ready to mega-hype any ridiculous story that played in the narrative that we all had to comply / clap for the NHS or whatever else rubbish they came up with. Drew a lot of attention from the fact that years of lack of investment in healthcare led to deaths in a pandemic when they were warned years before that this could all happen and we weren't prepared.

This it was reported on the bbc West country need and I thought he lived in Bristol or nearby....then I found out it was somewhere else and realised that it was just jurnos having got fed up of asking for a lock down, then asking for it to be lifted

Fairtobefairohhhhhc · 12/11/2023 22:04

I looked up her company. She has 5 active companies, 4 are Management consultancy activities other than financial management and one is Other business support service activities not elsewhere classified

Not quite sure what that entails. But I guess that's how you charge for appearances? As she did. Wasn't she paid £18k for one and the charity was paid £2k? Something like that anyway.
Her husband has had 51 companies I'm his life. Some still active. I gave up scrolling
But most are the same activity as hers and building development.

So they knew what they where doing really... and yes it was a scam. Not sure if captain Tom was in on it. But I guess we will never know now.

Monetm · 12/11/2023 22:06

My flatmate gave me shit at the time and acted as if I was being vastly unreasonable for saying that I was anything less than 100% heartwarmed by him.

Nicknacky · 12/11/2023 22:07

Is this a repeat from a few weeks ago or has it just been advertised for a while?

fuzzystar · 12/11/2023 22:08

We were all bored and scared we would die if we didn't wash our shopping.

Supersimkin2 · 12/11/2023 22:08

One thing’s for sure: she’s not the only one.

fuzzystar · 12/11/2023 22:09

And yeah she was definitely on a lot of people radars at the time

Coolhwip · 12/11/2023 22:10

I reckon he was in on it.

This raising up of ordinary individuals into saints is a British thing.