Shocking hidden camera footage has exposed the cruel tactics of a gang of rogue traders who conned an elderly woman out of more than £30,000 – draining her life savings.
The covert CCTV, secretly installed by police in the pensioner’s hallway, captured two fraudsters pressuring the vulnerable 83-year-old into writing out an £18,000 cheque for roofing work that barely existed.
She was the first of 11 victims targeted in a wider fraud worth around £880,000.
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Charlie Lee, 57, and James Cunningham, 41, posed as workmen and repeatedly targeted the woman over five months, bullying her into paying huge sums for supposed repairs.
The widow, from Aspley, Nottingham, said she felt she had no choice but to hand over the cash, as reported by Need To Know.
In her victim impact statement, she said: “I felt like I was being bullied and had no choice but to write them out the cheques.
“They intimidated me and would not take no for an answer, so I felt little choice but to give them what they wanted.
“They have left me feeling unsafe in my own house and financially it has hit me hard as they have emptied my bank account.
“I hope nobody else has to go through what I have and that these men do not get to treat people the way they have treated me.”
The pensioner died in April last year.
Police said the footage showed Lee and Cunningham instructing her to make the cheque payable to another name – part of a money laundering tactic used across the wider scam.
The con unfolded between June and October 2022.
But when officers later inspected her roof, they found only a small amount of mortar had been placed along ridge tiles.
The gang preyed on 11 elderly and vulnerable homeowners across the Midlands, convincing them they needed urgent roofing repairs before demanding extortionate payments.
One victim – a 67-year-old Nottingham man – lost £376,284 of his life savings, money he had built up over 30 years for retirement.
Other victims included a 97-year-old woman from Coventry, who lost £186,000, an 82-year-old man from Kenilworth who lost £74,000, and an 80-year-old man from Coventry who lost £37,000.
Police said the fraudsters used relentless pressure, with some victims threatened that roofing work would be ripped off if they refused to keep paying.
The scam also involved laundering money through bank accounts under false names.
The gang was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, (15 June).
Ben Lee was jailed for four years and 11 months, Charlie Lee, jailed for three years and 10 months, James Cunningham – given a sentence of five years and 10 months in prison but was told he was eligible for immediate release on licence, until the end of this period, due to time already served, Stephen O’Rourke – 21-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, 200 hours’ unpaid work, Michelle Fox, eight month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, 150 hours’ unpaid work, Cole Lee, sentenced 12-month community order, 40 hours’ unpaid work.
Speaking after the sentencing Detective Constable Rich Evans, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This conspiracy involved a substantial number of victims who were collectively conned out of around £880,000.
“This group used relentless high-pressure tactics and intimidation to defraud these householders.
“Some of them led lavish and luxurious lifestyles as a direct result of their criminality after bleeding their victims dry of their hard-earned savings without any remorse whatsoever.
“They were put through very traumatic experiences, leaving them feeling helpless, alone, anxious, under significant financial pressure and feeling unsafe in their own homes.”
Detective Inspector Chris Berryman, the senior investigating officer in the case, added: “No stone was left unturned during our comprehensive investigation and we identified victims throughout the Midlands who were preyed upon by this group of organised criminals.
“I want to recognise the dedication of former DC Eliot Longdon who worked tirelessly with a number of the vulnerable victims. Without his dedication and compassion we would not have secured this prosecution.
“Sadly DC Longdon passed away before this case made it to court but he did an amazing job with DC Rich Evans whose innovative digital investigation skills resulted in placing the suspects at crime scenes via CCTV and complex mobile phone inquiries.”
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