Dad living in debt due to inheritance fraud and heart failure diagnosis

hoppyHarry100224

My grandmother died around ten years ago to which my dad received some inheritance. We are unsure how much but know a decent amount (maybe £25k) was lost due to fraud at some point in this ten years; he's a proud man and not willing to let his children help him recover it. Now due to a recent heart failure diagnosis he is unable to properly work and living hand to mouth. If we could recover this money he lost years ago we could at least secure his short term safety. Has anyone got any tips or experience working with inheritance fraud, or potentially other types of fraud?

tacpot12

Is he claiming all the benefits he mightbe entitled to? You can check with him at  www.entitledto.co.uk

Unless the perpetrator of the fraud is known to your father, you have virtually no chance of a) finding the person who has done this and b) getting any money back off them. That fact that some indefinite amount of time has elapsed, and your father isn't cooperating makes it more likely that you will fail to acheive anything.

I think it would be better to try to help him deal with his current situation in practical ways, such as helping him claim any benefits, and helping him staff safe from further scams and frauds. You can also try to get him professional debt advice about his debts. You could try calling StepChange with him.

Has he made a Power of Attorney for his financial affairs? If not, I would definitely try to discuss it with him. He will know someone that has had dementia. 

penners324

You would need to know the individual or company involved, their current addresses and have quite a bit of evidence. 

Given the time the bank are unlikely to find in your father's favour so won't reimburse him.

Grumpy_chap

hoppyHarry100224 said:

My grandmother died around ten years ago to which my dad received some inheritance. We are unsure how much but know a decent amount (maybe £25k) was lost due to fraud at some point in this ten years; he's a proud man and not willing to let his children help him recover it. Now due to a recent heart failure diagnosis he is unable to properly work and living hand to mouth. If we could recover this money he lost years ago we could at least secure his short term safety. Has anyone got any tips or experience working with inheritance fraud, or potentially other types of fraud?

I can't directly help, but it was unclear to me reading the post whether this is "inheritance fraud" (if that is a specific category).

If your Dad received the correct amount via distribution of the Will, then that is not fraud related to the inheritance.

If your Dad then lost the amount of £25k (which he only had because of inheriting it) at some point in the ten years, then the resolution (if any) would depend upon the nature of the fraud that occurred and what happened at the time and whether that (those) events were reported to Police and / or financial institutions at the time.

Was it a series of fraud events over the period of 10 years?

fatbelly

It sounds like the inheritance has gone, however it went.

Concentrate on maximising income minimising expenditure and having a strategy for the debt, i.e. standard debt advice.

You are better posting on the debt-free wannabe board. You've put this one on the bankruptcy board

sourcrates

fatbelly said:

It sounds like the inheritance has gone, however it went.

Concentrate on maximising income minimising expenditure and having a strategy for the debt, i.e. standard debt advice.

You are better posting on the debt-free wannabe board. You've put this one on the bankruptcy board

I`ll put that right, and move it.

sourcrates

There are various time limits for the reporting of fraud, depending on the organisation concerned.

This ranges from a matter of days, to a matter of weeks, so after 10 years, I`m afraid there won`t be much you can do to challenge any of this, any fraudster will be long gone, and will have left nothing but a cold trail.

The advise to check he is receiving all benefits he is entitled too is good, especially PIP and/or attendance allowance depending on his age.