Felpham conman rips off the Elderly
By nick_hop1 | Friday, July 02, 2010, 09:16
A 12 month suspended sentence was handed out
yesterday to local Felpham conman and part time builder Robert Schlick who was
found guilty of systematically defrauding an 88 year old woman of over £18,500
over an 18 month period.
Schlick who started doing odd jobs for the woman
ended up taking over her bank account when she became seriously ill. Cheques were cashed by Mr Schlick and a
credit card was taken out in the woman’s name and used by the offender, who
pleaded guilty to 5 charges of theft, fraud and money laundering.
Police have warned elderly and vulnerable people in
light of these event to be weary of trusting people with money and bank
details, Detective Constable Nicola Balkham saying "Elderly people in
our society can often be vulnerable, yet at the same time very trusting of
those who seem to be helping them.
"This case sends the message to the elderly, and to their families and
many legitimate carers, that there are some people out there who you need to be
very careful about.
"Don't be afraid
to talk to others about any concerns you may have. In particular, suspicions
about this or any other type of fraud will always be taken seriously by police.
We will always follow up reports of the elderly being taken advantage of,
whether in the Bognor area or elsewhere."
Comments
These incidents really are a rarity and I hope older people don't feel frightened by this kind of news. Good to see the police offering sound advice to the elderly on how to rpevent this kind of thing happening to them.
By cynth_hunt at 09:37 on 29/08/10
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