Ashford crook snagged after trying to pinch pensioner’s £188k life savings
Conniving conman targets helpless octogenarian
Colin Fox, 43, from Ashford, tried to swipe nearly £200,000 from a vulnerable pensioner living in a care home. The victim, an 86-year-old man with serious health issues, was unable to leave the care home, making the scam particularly despicable.
Fraudster fools no one but nearly pulls off the heist
Fox exploited his link to a friend who helped care for the pensioner to nab personal and online banking details. In March 2018, he made several attempts to drain the victim’s bank account—totaling £188,397. But the bank’s safeguards kicked in and froze the suspicious transfers.
Not deterred, Fox showed up at the Ashford branch with an elderly accomplice posing as the victim. Claiming they needed the cash to buy designer watches, Fox tried to convince the bank to release the frozen funds. Staff weren’t fooled, firing off security questions and alerting police.
Justice hits home despite victim’s sad passing
Investigators revealed the victim’s poor health made bank visits impossible, exposing the fraud attempt. Fox was caught in September 2019 but his elderly sidekick remains at large.
At Maidstone Crown Court, Fox pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and bagged four years behind bars on August 13, 2021.
Detective Constable Mark Collins slammed Fox’s “determination to steal every penny” and praised the bank’s vigilance for stopping the con. “The victim, Henry Cook, sadly passed away before the case concluded but knew about the distressing attempt to rob his savings,” Collins said. “Thankfully, justice has now been served.”
