Legal News

A court has jailed a father and son after they were convicted on charges of defrauding elderly people of large sums of cash.

Online publisher Get Surrey.co.uk reports that 51-year-old Albert Webb and 26-year-old Jimmy Chuter operated their scam across the south and southeast, targeting elderly people who were mostly in their eighties or nineties – the eldest victim of the fraud was aged 97.

The two men worked the scam by stopping elderly people close to their homes and telling them they had completed roofing work and had come to collect payment.

If their victims did not have sufficient money in cash to pay them, they would offer to drive them to a bank to withdraw the money. The court heard that many of Webb’s and Chuter’s victims were suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s and could not remember the roofing work they claimed to have done, but paid them anyway.

The pair defrauded elderly people of around £15,000 in total.

St Alban’s Crown Court also heard that the pair committed distraction burglaries when they visited some of their victims in their homes.

On Wednesday. 21 January at St Alban’s Crown Court, Albert Webb of The Paddocks, Virginia Water in Surrey and his son Jimmy Chuter of Montrose Avenue in Datchet both pleaded guilty charges relating to burglary, fraud and conspiracy to defraud.

The court sentenced Webb to three-and-a-half years for conspiracy to burgle and conspiracy to defraud, as well as a stand-alone charge of fraud committed in the past.

Chuter was sentenced to four years in jail for conspiracy to defraud.

Police are also looking for a third man linked to the crimes – anyone who knows the whereabouts of 19-year-old Jessie Webb of The Paddocks in Virginia Water should call Crimestoppers, say police. Webb is wanted in connection with all the crimes.

After the hearing, Detective Constable Kieran Doyle from Operation Manhunt said:

“This pair showed absolutely no regard for their victims – some of whom they would follow from local shopping centres.

“They particularly preyed on older people, who may be more easily confused into believing work had been done to their property.”

Duncan Lewis Fraud Lawyers

Duncan Lewis fraud lawyers can advise at any stage of a charge involving fraud or conspiracy to defraud, including fraud charges relating to:

• Benefit fraud
• Bogus marriages
• Boiler room scams
• Company fraud
• Credit card fraud
• Financial fraud
• Identity fraud
• Insurance fraud
• Immigration fraud
• Motor insurance fraud
• Passport fraud
• Ponzi scams
• Ticketing fraud
• Visa fraud.

Duncan Lewis has six offices across London and the southeast and a criminal defence lawyer can be with you within an hour.

For expert legal advice on criminal charges relating to fraud and representation during police interview under caution, call Duncan Lewis fraud lawyers on 020 7923 4020.

For out-of-hours criminal law advice on fraud charges, call the Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers Out-of-Hours Hotline on 07920 077057.