0:00:02 > 0:00:06Each year almost half the population of Britain is targeted by a scam
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and the brains behind these scams are quick-thinking con men
0:00:09 > 0:00:13who know every trick in the book to get you to part with your cash.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Coming up in today's programme...
0:00:32 > 0:00:36how a fraudulent solar panel company took advantage
0:00:36 > 0:00:39of one trusting 86-year-old, leaving his world in pieces.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Their kindliness and friendliness
0:00:42 > 0:00:45is ruthlessly exploited by the scammers.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48And we hear about a will writing company that took
0:00:48 > 0:00:51more than their fee from the estates of the deceased.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56It was just devastating to think that there was somebody out there
0:00:56 > 0:00:58that could actually rob the dead.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I'm here to tell you what the con man doesn't want you to know,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05how to stay one step ahead of the game and not get scammed.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Something I've learned is that scam artists are always looking
0:01:15 > 0:01:18for the next bandwagon to jump on to.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Case in point, renewable energy, solar panels, that sort of thing.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Renewable energy is clean energy harnessed from sources
0:01:26 > 0:01:29like the sun and the wind.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Stick solar panels on your roof or a wind turbine in your garden
0:01:33 > 0:01:35and you can generate your own electricity
0:01:35 > 0:01:39which is good for the environment, and can be good for your pocket.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41So it's no surprise that more and more people
0:01:41 > 0:01:44are keen to switch to renewable energy.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Sadly, this has created an opportunity for fraudsters.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Scammers are always looking to try and find the next best thing
0:01:52 > 0:01:54that consumers are interested in.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56I think solar panels is a classic example of that.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Some scammers will look at the industry and try and hijack it.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04We're about to meet John, he's 86, a war hero,
0:02:04 > 0:02:09and he made a down payment to a company he found on the internet,
0:02:09 > 0:02:10for a solar panel.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Seven months on, he still hasn't got it.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20- Hello, John, how are you? I'm Matt. - You are Matt?- I am Matt.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22- Do come in.- Thank you very much.
0:02:24 > 0:02:30- So you were looking for electricity from these new panels.- Yes.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Why did you need that?
0:02:33 > 0:02:39Because I'm a bit of a nut about the environment.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Don't waste water, save electricity if you can.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47The solar panels that John was interested in are called PV,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51or photovoltaic solar panels. They contain the technology
0:02:51 > 0:02:55to convert light from the sun into electricity.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Wanting to find out more, he went onto the internet
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and soon came across a local company who supplied them.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Registering his interest,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05it was only matter of days before a salesman popped round.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Little did he realise, this would be a life-changing experience...
0:03:09 > 0:03:12and not in a good way.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16So, John, how did this company go about gaining your trust?
0:03:16 > 0:03:22The representative who came presented himself
0:03:22 > 0:03:26as an ex-bank manager, in the course of conversation.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29He was very pleasant.
0:03:29 > 0:03:35So I went ahead and took the bait, as it were.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37But signing up didn't just involve a signature,
0:03:37 > 0:03:42it involved money. The total cost of the project was agreed at £12,000
0:03:42 > 0:03:47but the salesman wanted an upfront payment.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Consumers must be careful about paying too much money upfront.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54It might appear work is undertaken and the contract is going well,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56if you pay too much and the trader disappears
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and fails to come back, you will be out of pocket.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03How much was the initial down payment, John?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06£3,450.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09At this stage, John had no idea the people
0:04:09 > 0:04:12he was dealing with were anything other than professional.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16In fact, two workmen arrived on his doorstep a few days later.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19They went up in the attic,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21and spent a couple of hours up there.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25They came down and pointed out to me,
0:04:25 > 0:04:31a length of electric wire hanging down in my cupboard,
0:04:31 > 0:04:36in the hall, saying that it was all finished.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39The two men explained to John that all the electrics
0:04:39 > 0:04:43were now in place, ready for the solar panel installation
0:04:43 > 0:04:47and, of course, further payments would therefore be required.
0:04:48 > 0:04:54I gave them the second payment of 3,500.
0:04:54 > 0:05:01- OK, so you're nearly £7,000 down at this stage.- 6,950.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02Spot-on.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07The two men were so convincing that John had willingly paid
0:05:07 > 0:05:11more than half the cost of the £12,000 installation.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14As yet, not one solar panel had made it into his house,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18but John had no reason to believe that anything was wrong.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21Trading Standards find the elderly
0:05:21 > 0:05:25and vulnerable are particularly targeted by scams on the doorstep.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28They come from a trusting background,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32they don't like saying no, they don't like being rude.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35That kindliness and friendliness is ruthlessly exploited
0:05:35 > 0:05:37by the scammers.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Having met John, I can tell you, he's no fool.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43He's even had experience working with criminals.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Spending an incredible 31 years of his life
0:05:45 > 0:05:47working for the Prison Service,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51he was dedicated to helping rehabilitate prisoners.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Why did you stick with it for so long?
0:05:56 > 0:06:02Well, I felt that I could and should help.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07These people, in my view, needed a second chance.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11With years of experience like that,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13you'd think John would know a criminal when he met one.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18The reality is that he was dealing with a very clever scammer.
0:06:18 > 0:06:24My nephew visited, and he went up into the attic,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26which I couldn't do,
0:06:26 > 0:06:31to see what had been done. He took several pictures.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36He discovered that all they had done, really,
0:06:36 > 0:06:41was to put a few lengths of wire, attached to the beams,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45running nowhere, connected to nothing.
0:06:45 > 0:06:52And left one hanging down in my cupboard as a final effort
0:06:52 > 0:06:55to persuade me the work had been completed.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Feeling confused by the situation,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02John wanted to put a halt to things immediately.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05I didn't want anything else to do with the firm.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07I would rather have my money back.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10So John called one of the directors of the company,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12and they said they'd come out and assess the work,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14but John stood firm, and stated
0:07:14 > 0:07:16that he just wanted his money back,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18and that was the last time he spoke to them.
0:07:18 > 0:07:25He has been shielded by those that worked with him in the office.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30He was either off sick, out of the office,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33or on the phone or something.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37With help from his nephew, he did some research into the company,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41and discovered one of the directors had recently been barred
0:07:41 > 0:07:43from running a company for ten years.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44It came as no surprise
0:07:44 > 0:07:47when the company he'd been dealing with soon went into liquidation.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50John's lost nearly £7,000,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53but the damage is not just financial.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56The whole experience has left him feeling completely shocked
0:07:56 > 0:07:58and confused.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05It's, umm....
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- I'm sorry, I can't.- It's OK.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Do you want to take some time, John?
0:08:20 > 0:08:26It's a poor reflection... really, of mankind.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31We should be better than that.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33I'm sorry.
0:08:36 > 0:08:42I think that everybody watching this would agree with you.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46I think the people that we're dealing with here
0:08:46 > 0:08:49are a tiny minority,
0:08:49 > 0:08:55who can have a devastating effect on somebody like yourself.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03But I also think, John, that by doing this, hopefully,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05other people will be forewarned.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08I hope so.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13He's bringing nothing but misery to people. It's not the way to live.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22After falling for this scam, John has noticed a sharp increase
0:09:22 > 0:09:24in the number of cold calls he gets every day,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27with a variety of sales reps attempting
0:09:27 > 0:09:29to flog him their services.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31He even receives one before I leave.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38You're a claims management company?
0:09:38 > 0:09:45You're calling speculatively to find out if my friend has any loans
0:09:45 > 0:09:48or mortgages that are being paid off?
0:09:48 > 0:09:53I'm going to be very clear with you now, OK? You need to listen
0:09:53 > 0:09:58very carefully. Don't ever call this number again, do you understand?
0:10:02 > 0:10:06It's just such a shame that, at this time of your life,
0:10:06 > 0:10:12you've come into contact with one group of unscrupulous people
0:10:12 > 0:10:14that seem to have changed your outlook.
0:10:14 > 0:10:22I feel extremely sorry for anyone who is duped in the same way,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24very sorry.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30This certainly isn't the first time Trading Standards
0:10:30 > 0:10:33have dealt with a case like this, and it won't be the last.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37So you should be aware of what you can do to protect yourself.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40The best advice is not to just deal with one company,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43try and get quotations from three or four companies.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45If you're dealing with a reputable company,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48they shouldn't expect a big deposit upfront on that day.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50They'll give you time to think about it.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53They should send a surveyor to make sure your property's suitable
0:10:53 > 0:10:55for solar panels.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58If you feel obliged to pay some money, it's always worth considering
0:10:58 > 0:11:00using your credit card.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02You have protection under the Consumer Credit Act
0:11:02 > 0:11:03if things go wrong,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07so do try and make payment or partial payment using that method.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Nobody likes thinking about writing a will,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18but it's essential so that our loved ones are provided for
0:11:18 > 0:11:19when we go.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Choose the wrong will writer
0:11:21 > 0:11:25and you could end up providing for a lot of people you never intended to.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32There are many ways to write a will, including using solicitors,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35going online, and by using will writers.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38And there are many reputable will-writing companies,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42providing a host of benefits, such as advice on how to write a will,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45as well as the safe storage of your will.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50But frustratingly it's an area that is unregulated.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53This is very difficult for the public to actually understand
0:11:53 > 0:11:59and really identify whether the will writer they've got is someone who is
0:11:59 > 0:12:03a very proper person who is going to do a good job,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06or it is a person who is perhaps coming to the business
0:12:06 > 0:12:08from a completely different sector,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10hasn't done any training, hasn't got insurance.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13They still call themselves will writers.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17And sadly, having an unregulated industry can allow fraudsters
0:12:17 > 0:12:22the opportunity to come knocking, as far too many people find out.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27In 2006, Lincolnshire Police became aware of a firm
0:12:27 > 0:12:30that had jumped on the will-writing bandwagon,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33extracting thousands of pounds from innocent victims.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36This was just simple theft, it's as simple as that.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40It was all hidden away in quite a complex manner,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43but the nuts and bolts of it all is stealing, it's theft.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Mary Neenan from Birmingham had been a close friend
0:12:46 > 0:12:49to an elderly gentleman called Bert Reeves.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Helping to keep his house clean and tidy,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53she offered him a great deal of support
0:12:53 > 0:12:55over the last decade of his life.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57He became like my dad.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00My girls came with me when I went to see him.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05We had him here for his birthdays, we did birthday parties,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08so he became like my father and their grandad.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Bert's wife had passed away some years before,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and he didn't have any immediate family,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16so when he reached his 90s,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19he set about getting his affairs in order.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Responding to an advert, Bert employed the services
0:13:22 > 0:13:25of the company Willmakers of Distinction Ltd
0:13:25 > 0:13:27to assist him in writing a will.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30He wanted to leave his estate to his niece, his neighbour
0:13:30 > 0:13:34and Mary, but he kept this a secret.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Six months after Bert passed away,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Mary was beginning to move on with her life.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42But then, out of the blue, she received a surprise phone call.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48That's when I discovered, when the solicitor that was selling the house
0:13:48 > 0:13:50was having problems selling it,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52that's when I discovered that I was a beneficiary.
0:13:52 > 0:13:59Without Mary's knowledge, Bert had left her nearly £40,000.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04But she'd had no contact from Willmakers of Distinction.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Digging out their number, she left messages
0:14:07 > 0:14:08for a director, Nicholas Butcher.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11But she was getting no response.
0:14:11 > 0:14:17When I told Mr Butcher that I knew that I was a beneficiary,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20um, and all of that,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24then when I contacted him after I told him that, he never replied.
0:14:24 > 0:14:30And it wasn't long before Mary started having concerns.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33There was something going wrong, there was something not happening.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Not getting any answers from Willmakers of Distinction,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40she had no option but to call the police.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43She was soon put in touch with Neil Hollingsworth
0:14:43 > 0:14:45from the Lincolnshire force.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49There was a guy, Nicholas Butcher. He'd been to prison and come out.
0:14:49 > 0:14:50We'd been given intelligence
0:14:50 > 0:14:53that he was working for Willmakers of Distinction Ltd,
0:14:53 > 0:14:59which is pretty much the area in which he'd committed criminality.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03So we'd had concerns, if I can say that.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05However, nothing ever came of it,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09but of course when we first get this report from the lady in Birmingham,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13that it's Willmakers of Distinction Ltd, we immediately think
0:15:13 > 0:15:17this is where Nicholas Butcher's working, so there were concerns.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19With Butcher's name ringing in his ears,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Neil quickly went to visit Mary to try and piece together
0:15:22 > 0:15:24what happened in the lead-up to Bert's death.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Mary told Neil about the day
0:15:28 > 0:15:30she discovered he'd decided to make a will.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35I let the gentleman into his house. When I discovered what he was doing,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37I thought, I don't want to be involved in this.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40This is his own personal, private business.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42So I left him to get on with doing the will.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Mary headed upstairs to clean, giving Bert some privacy,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48and the will was signed and sealed.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53The advert in Bert's local paper was offering wills for just £19.99.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58If a company, a will-writing company,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02is offering knockdown-price wills for £20, £25,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05the question that must be asked is, how are they making money?
0:16:05 > 0:16:12They may want to try and sell extra products to boost up the price.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13Neil wanted to find out
0:16:13 > 0:16:16if Bert had parted with any more during his meeting
0:16:16 > 0:16:20and asked Mary if she remembered anything.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24He'd asked me to go and get some money from his safe,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and that was... I brought him down over £200.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30It was obvious that Willmakers of Distinction
0:16:30 > 0:16:33had got Bert to sign up for more than just a basic will.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36So what exactly had he signed up to?
0:16:38 > 0:16:42They may want to be appointed as executors to control
0:16:42 > 0:16:44the assets once the person has died.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48That's exactly what happened.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Once in his house, the salesman from Willmakers of Distinction
0:16:51 > 0:16:55had convinced Bert that he could rely on them to follow through
0:16:55 > 0:16:57with his last wishes.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02The reason he made them executors was not to trouble anybody else,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06and he put his full trust in this gentleman that done the will.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Soon after, Bert became ill, and he passed the details
0:17:10 > 0:17:13of Willmakers of Distinction Ltd to Mary
0:17:13 > 0:17:15so she'd know who to phone upon his death.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Sadly, a few months later, Bert was transferred into a care home,
0:17:21 > 0:17:22where he died.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Mary still had no idea that she'd been written into his will,
0:17:26 > 0:17:31but doing the right thing, she informed people of his death.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36I contacted Willmakers of Distinction after I'd sorted out his funeral.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38And I spoke to a Mr Butcher.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43As Willmakers of Distinction were now in charge of Bert's estate,
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Nicholas Butcher soon arranged to meet Mary, to get hold of Bert's
0:17:47 > 0:17:53personal details, including his bank account information.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56We just went to the pub across the road and had lunch together.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01He seemed quite a nice gentleman.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Throughout the lunch, the contents of Bert's will was never
0:18:05 > 0:18:07mentioned to Mary.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Butcher took the details and quietly went on his way.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Some months later, Mary received a call from the solicitor,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18informing her that Bert had left her a third of his estate...
0:18:18 > 0:18:22with an approximate value of £40,000.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25After leaving numerous messages for Nicholas Butcher
0:18:25 > 0:18:28and receiving no reply, Mary called the police.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32My problem was there was three people
0:18:32 > 0:18:34that were beneficiaries to a will,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38and that the amount of money that we would have all received
0:18:38 > 0:18:41would have been a life-changing amount of money for all of us.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Neil was shocked but not surprised to hear that
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Bert's money had vanished.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51He wanted to find out where Bert's money was and why it hadn't yet
0:18:51 > 0:18:53been given to his chosen beneficiaries.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Hoping to get some quick answers, he headed straight for
0:18:56 > 0:18:59the offices of Willmakers of Distinction Ltd.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02I was hoping to rather find that it was still there, and that there
0:19:02 > 0:19:05was an easy explanation for all of this, of course.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08The point is, when I got there, it was just locked doors.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Neil had quickly discovered that the bird had flown.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13The building was now a building site
0:19:13 > 0:19:18but there were still signs of the business left behind.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21They occupied this whole building here, the reception area.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25They employed about 20 people here,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27a bank of telephonists, a bank of will drafters,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29as well as Mr Nash and Mr Butcher.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34After discovering that the premises were completely empty,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Neil researched the company further and discovered
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Mary's worst nightmare.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Willmakers of Distinction had gone into liquidation,
0:19:43 > 0:19:49and there were other cases as well as my own.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53So the next port of call for Neil was to interview the liquidators.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55They confirmed that they had not been satisfied
0:19:55 > 0:19:58with the reasons for the liquidation.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03So, Neil set about finding out exactly who was behind this company.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10I knew of Nicholas Butcher. It became apparent the man in charge
0:20:10 > 0:20:12was David Nash.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15David Nash was a well-known businessman
0:20:15 > 0:20:19and former Lincoln City Football Club vice-president.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Searching for further background information on the company,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Neil paid a visit to their accountant, who had some growing
0:20:25 > 0:20:28concerns about the state of their accounts.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Taking Neil through the accounts step by step,
0:20:30 > 0:20:35he was able to see how much money each person had in their estate.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37But there was something that didn't add up.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Large, round-figure amounts
0:20:40 > 0:20:43were being transferred from the supposedly safe trustee account
0:20:43 > 0:20:47into the day-to-day bank account of Willmakers of Distinction.
0:20:47 > 0:20:53All these entries in yellow, 2,000, 10,000, and it goes on and on,
0:20:53 > 0:20:58on every page of this document, you can see these monies going in.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Neil could see something was very wrong and needed further answers.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06So, he set out to uncover the wills relating to all the estates
0:21:06 > 0:21:08on the accountant's list.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13Meanwhile, Mary had managed to get hold of David Nash's mobile number.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17She wanted the answer to one question - where was Bert's money?
0:21:17 > 0:21:21He said not to be stupid,
0:21:21 > 0:21:26that those companies had insurance, everybody would get money,
0:21:26 > 0:21:31Mary was simply being sold yet another lie.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34However, Neil was starting to make some progress.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39Having recovered the wills from the probate office,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42we then start contacting beneficiaries
0:21:42 > 0:21:43to see if they've been paid out,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45and there was a story to be told in each one.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Going through each estate using the accountant's spreadsheet,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Neil could clearly see
0:21:52 > 0:21:56that money due to people quite simply hadn't been handed over.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Through the liquidators, Neil saw that Willmakers of Distinction Ltd
0:22:00 > 0:22:03had operated a franchise.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05David Nash had sold the rights
0:22:05 > 0:22:09to trade under the Willmakers of Distinction name.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Neil managed to track down details of one of the franchise owners,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15who shed further light on the business.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20One other area of criminality we've discovered
0:22:20 > 0:22:23is that they were selling pre-paid funerals.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28People would pay the money, £1,200, £1,500 for a funeral,
0:22:28 > 0:22:33and then they didn't go on and buy these funerals from the companies
0:22:33 > 0:22:35they were brokering for, they pocketed the money.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38With a mountain of detailed evidence,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42it was finally time for Neil to arrest David Nash.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48We arrested David Nash at his home address, and we searched it.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51In the course of searching it
0:22:51 > 0:22:52we found various papers.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54In amongst those papers,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58there was the will for one of the estates they'd been managing.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03But all the paperwork for it was sat in his garage, in a cardboard box.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08With all the evidence in place, Neil contacted Mary with the news.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Then when I spoke to the police
0:23:10 > 0:23:13they said there were several cases and they were taking them to court.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17That's when I realised that was the end.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21But even after all the evidence was presented to Nash,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23he still tried to tough it out.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27He was adamant that he was innocent.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32However, about a month before the trial was set, he did plead guilty.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35David Nash was convicted of six counts of theft
0:23:35 > 0:23:37and three counts of fraudulent trading.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40He received three-and-a-half years.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44One down, one to go.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47It didn't take long before Neil tracked down Nicholas Butcher
0:23:47 > 0:23:51and brought him in for questioning.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54He went down the same route as Nash, at first claiming his innocence,
0:23:54 > 0:23:59and then changing his plea to guilty on the day of his trial.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Butcher also got three-and-a-half years.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05He was convicted of the thefts and the fraudulent tradings
0:24:05 > 0:24:08and serves a maximum of three-and-a-half years.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13At last the men who had conned over £400,000 of cash from customers
0:24:13 > 0:24:16were facing jail.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18We are at the stage
0:24:18 > 0:24:21where we've confiscated assets following the convictions.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24We took £50,000-odd from Mr Nash.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27We didn't get an awful lot from Mr Butcher
0:24:27 > 0:24:29because he didn't have an awful lot.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31We took £2,000-odd off him.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Mary, who was due to receive approximately £40,000,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37won't get anything,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40apart from a degree of satisfaction.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45I'm absolutely delighted, but I didn't think they got enough time.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Three-and-a-half years just wasn't enough for what they'd done.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52If you're concerned about getting caught up in a similar scam,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56there are things you can do to help protect yourself.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57At the moment,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00the safest course of action must be to go to a solicitor,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04who is regulated and will offer the protection.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08For further advice on how to protect yourselves against scams,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10go to the website -
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Before we go, there's just time to tell you
0:25:23 > 0:25:25about the latest scams out there.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29I've come to meet an expert from the National Fraud Authority,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32to get the lowdown on what you should be watching out for.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Today, we're looking at scams that happen via your e-mail.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45A lot of people out there will have received an e-mail, usually,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49from a nice gentleman saying that he's got a lot of money for them,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51if they'll help him out.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55We are talking astronomical sums. Millions and millions and millions.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- That's what they hook you in with. - How much could you lose?
0:25:58 > 0:26:01You could pay lots of transactions
0:26:01 > 0:26:05amounting to thousands of pounds and end up with nothing.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07So, always be on your guard,
0:26:07 > 0:26:11be sceptical of people contacting you out of the blue
0:26:11 > 0:26:12asking for money.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16And don't believe the promise of large sums of cash.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Next, another e-mail scam.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22This time it's someone pretending to be your bank.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27They will be asking for your personal finance details, your passwords,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29your credit card details, that sort of thing,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33trying to get you to give your details to the fraudsters
0:26:33 > 0:26:35so they can enter your bank account.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Why do people go for it?
0:26:37 > 0:26:39It just looks so good,
0:26:39 > 0:26:45Banks never ask for your account details or passwords via e-mail.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46Don't hand them out.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49If you're ever unsure, contact your bank directly.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54It doesn't matter how clever the scam is,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58if you recognise the signs, you'll always be one step ahead.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Stay safe. See you next time.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd