Lincolnshire Police, bankers, and postal workers join forces to recover stolen funds for Skegness woman

A woman had her £2,850 in savings returned after a team effort by local police, bank, and post office.

In December, Joan, in her late 80s from Skegness, fell victim to a scam where fraudsters impersonated Barclays’ fraud team.

The scammers claimed there were issues with her account and insisted she send £2,850 in cash for fingerprint checks.

Joan, trusting the call, sent £2,850 to London via special delivery.

Two days later, Joan realised something was wrong and sought help at Barclays, where an advisor recognised the scam.

The case was swiftly reported to the police, where student officer PC Nicholson stepped in.

PC Nicholson visited Joan and discovered she had kept detailed notes on the scam, including the address and a tracking number for the package.

The officer explained the situation to a local postman who referred her to Skegness Post Office.

Thanks to their prompt actions, the package was traced to Mount Pleasant, London, and redirected back to Skegness.

After legal procedures, the package was safely returned to Joan.

A statement from Lincolnshire Police said: “These scammers can be extremely manipulative, persuasive, and insistent, and they prey on the vulnerable.

“Getting Joan’s money back has been a real team effort and we would like to send a heartfelt thank you to PC Nicholson and all our staff who assisted, as well as those from Barclays Bank and Royal Mail.

“They saw that what was an awful ordeal for an elderly lady, at least had a happy ending, showing there are good people who will go the extra mile to look after vulnerable members of our community.”

If you suspect a scam, call the police on 101 and contact your bank.

You can also report scams, fraud, or cybercrime to organisations such as Citizens Advice, Action Fraud, and Age UK.