Investment scam, …elderly parent

LHW99

It should also be possible to block the particular number they phone on an iPhone, although these people can usually use multiple spoofed numbers that look as if they are genuinely from the UK.

elsien

I have LPA for 86-year-old parent however I have had to promise not to go anywhere near her online banking unless she asks me to or I absolutely have to. 

Ditto sibling, who doesn’t have online banking for himself so very reluctantly agreed that I could register for it just in case it was needed in the future.
I completely get that. I wouldn’t want anyone nosing around my accounts without my consent at the time either. 

However good the intentions, you can only use an LPA in the way the person wants you to while they still have capacity. So they would need to agree to you monitoring their account, which would entail some frank conversations about why you might feel you need to do that.

(You in general due to comments from other people, not specifically aimed at the OP.)

BooJewels

I suggest it might be time to register the LPA with the bank - it's great that you already have one - that'll save several weeks.  I've done it several times now and each bank works slightly differently.  You don't even need to do anything with it on a week to week basis - but in the case of an emergency like this, you can react in mere moments if it's already in place.  It's especially comforting and useful if you're remote, just like I was - means that you can at least do something to help.

BooJewels

To add to what @elsien just said - something I was thinking about when I said they all work differently. Some banks, like Santander, if you're already a customer yourself, simply add the donor's account to your list of accounts in the app etc. So this might not be suitable if the Donor prefers you not to be able to see their account generally. 

I hope it goes without saying that everything you do must always be in the donor's best interests

jaypers

This is 100% a scam.
You need to report the case to Action Fraud - https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
The Bank should be contacted and advised what has happened. They are duty bound to look to return the money……this is far easier than it used to be but the Bank will follow certain criteria.
If this is on a landline, something like True Call is excellent for vulnerable people - https://www.truecall.co.uk/shop/truecall-call-blocker

These things are everywhere and it is a worry when it’s affecting vulnerable loved ones. 

powerspowers

It sounds like you are doing the right things supporting your dad. Definitely warn him that he will be targeted by more scams. 

The psychology of fraud is interesting. People often find it more comfortable to believe that the scam is genuine than the alternative that they are vulnerable and fell for it. You need to give support in a way that Builds their confidence rather than makes them doubt it, not easy to do! 

Martico

You might want to give the BBC's latest Scam Secrets a listen ("How Do I Get My Money Back?" - it runs through your rights and the best processes to follow after discovering you've been scammed). It's on BBC Sounds here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002mp9k

badger09

In addition to persuading dad it’s in his best interests to allow you to monitor his accounts, which I don’t think will be easy, you/he should also consider protective CIFAS registration. Costs £30 for 2 years but could be money well spent. 

C0SM0S

https://www.reuters.com/investigations/meta-is-earning-fortune-deluge-fraudulent-ads-documents-show-2025-11-06/

zenshi

His BT account is already linked to mine, he’s happy with that.

We go through his bank accounts once a month when I see him to address any issues. He gives me his iPad and I can log in to his back myself, he’s happy with that. Having his bank account on my iPad, I think will be step too far at the mo

The CIFAS protection, I read the link and doubt he’ll go for that. He gets frustrated waiting. One instance, he wanted to transfer some money to my for Xmas and it was flagged as an unusual amount and blocked. He had to ring the following day to sort it, well I had to talk to them with his permission but he was very annoyed, even though I said it was just extra protection for him

i agree with this totally!

 People often find it more comfortable to believe that the scam is genuine than the alternative that they are vulnerable and fell for it