This article reveals the devastation and mental impact being a victim of a scam can inflict.
Here we have a husband who invested his £200k pension into an overseas investment with a purported return of some £500k. After losing it all he spiralled into the situation that led to him attempting to kill his wife.
With pension freedoms comes the scammers. Whilst deterrents are sought such as a government proposed ban on pensions cold calling it will not deter the hardcore scammer. These scammers must be backed into a corner where they are no longer able to trade in the pensions market.
Anyone who speaks with vulnerable victims of investment scams through their work or personally should be mindful that person may need advice or support. Friends Against Scams is a National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team initiative, which aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams. Take a look.
www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk
www.grantthornton.co.uk/investmentscams
A husband who attempted to murder his wife, after looting her bank account and pawning her jewellery, was spared jail after a judge was told she did not want him locked up.Retired dentist, Christopher Shipp had secretly lost more than £200,000 pension savings, after being conned in an investment scam, and thought killing them both was the only option.When his wife, Shirlianne, confronted him about £17,686 missing from her personal account, Shipp grabbed her around the waist, put a tie around her neck from behind and twisted it tightly.He told her: "It's the only way, I'll be with you in half an hour, I've got the tablets downstairs."
