Ambulance crew prevent elderly patient from falling victim to scam

The quick-thinking actions of an ambulance crew in Scunthorpe have prevented their elderly patient from losing thousands of pounds to a scam. Yvette Ray and Chris Gough attended the patient and quickly established that something was not right about an encounter the patient had experienced the day before.

Yvette, who has worked for East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) for five years as an Ambulance Technician, explained that the patient had mentioned in passing that some people had knocked on his door claiming to be trained tradesmen who wanted to check his roof. The patient told Yvette that after going upstairs, the strangers said they needed £9,000 to buy new roof timbers but required the money upfront before returning with the supplies.

Yvette went outside to inspect the roof and found it in good condition. Realizing the situation was suspicious, she immediately cancelled the patient’s bank cards and cheques. Yvette said: “My heart was just breaking for him in that moment as he was starting to panic that he was going to lose all his money.”

Yvette and Chris also contacted the patient’s family so they could help set up new bank cards and chequebooks. Chris Gough, who has over 23 years of frontline service with EMAS, said: “We don’t see what we did as going ‘above and beyond’ because we wanted to make sure that the gentleman was going to be looked after long after we left the scene.”

Detective Sergeant Ben Robinson from Humberside Police said: “Rogue traders and fraudsters will often target elderly or vulnerable people in their homes, making them feel intimidated or threatened into taking up services or handing over cash they may not have. In this situation, thankfully the victim told a member of ambulance staff about the situation and she was able to quickly intervene before he lost a large amount of money.”

Robinson offered advice: “We would always advise that you don’t open the door to strangers or anyone who cannot provide valid ID. If they are trying to sell you a service or product, don’t agree to sign a contract or hand over money at the door; always talk to someone you trust first.”

He added: “If you or your loved one has already signed a contract or handed over money to one of these doorstep sellers and you don’t believe they are legitimate, you need to report this to Action Fraud via their website, and contact your bank as soon as possible to prevent any money from leaving your account.”

“Remember, this can happen to anyone and there is no need to feel embarrassed. It’s important to report these offences so that action can be taken against those committing them.”