Latest news with #ColinChudley
Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Frauds who stole £260k from Colin got me too, so I taped them
As the former managing director of a British investment company, with a master's in business from Harvard University, Joe considered himself an unlikely victim of an investment scam. But when the retired businessman received a call about recovering funds held in escrow relating to an investment he had made in wine trading, he became one of the nine million Britons a year who are duped by scammers. Joe, who asked for his full name not to be published, contacted The Sunday Times after reading about Colin Chudley, a 68-year-old mobile vendor who lost £260,000 and 'died a broken man' last month. Joe said: 'I am sure that I spoke to the exact same scammer just last week. I heard the voice of the scammers
Times
16-05-2025
- Times
Nicky Morgan: the police do something if you get mugged — but not scammed
Fraud and scams are big business for criminals and devastating for the victims. Last week The Sunday Times reported on the incredibly sad case of Colin Chudley, who was driven to despair and financial ruin by an elaborate scam in which he lost £260,000 before he died. Distressing cases of life-changing losses are an all-too-familiar tale. Even in cases where a victim is able to recover their money, anyone who claims that fraud is a victimless crime is truly missing the point. The ordeal destroys confidence, and can leave a victim unable to rebuild their trust in anyone or anything. For too long the focus in relation to fraud has been to deal with the fallout rather than prevent it happening in the first
Times
12-05-2025
- Times
The scamming scourge seems to be outwitting police
As Marks & Spencer and the Co-op continue to deal with the fallout from recent cyberattacks, it is worth remembering that millions of us are targeted daily for our money in ways that are no less worrying. Today we report on the case of Colin Chudley, who died last month after being driven to despair by scammers. The criminals had cynically and skillfully persuaded him to part with nearly £260,000. The fraud was sophisticated and relentless, even continuing after his death, when his widow, Greta, opened post falsely suggesting Colin was due in court. So brazen are these crooks that when our reporter contacted them by phone, they calmly accused her of making 'heinous' allegations. • Frauds stole £260k from Colin before he died.
Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Frauds stole £260k from Colin before he died. We called them up
Seven months ago Greta Chudley returned home to find her husband of 30 years, Colin, sitting with his head in his hands, crying. His devastation was so out of character that at first she feared a relative had died. 'All he could say was, 'No, I've done something stupid',' Chudley recalled. ''I've lost all my savings, my investments, my pension pot — everything'. And I just broke down in tears.' For weeks Colin, 68, had been living with a terrible secret. He had lost every penny of the £260,000 he had set aside for their retirement and to help their 26-year-old daughter Hannah buy her first home. He had been the victim of an elaborate and coercive scam in which the fraudsters used the details
