SPEEDKINGZ / SHUTTERSTOCK News Elderly at risk from financial abuse Shocking figures released by Age UK show that at least 130,000 older people aged 65 or above have suffered some form of financial abuse at the hands of someone known to them. With scams on the increase, elderly people are also becoming increasingly victimised by fraudsters. Most at risk are those with dementia or reduced cognitive function but, says the Age UK report, women living on their own are often targeted. Financial abuse can have a serious impact on older people, financially and emotionally, and loss of even a small amount can be catastrophic, especially for those on low incomes. Financial abuse is also closely linked to a decline in mental health and resilience. The charity is calling for a joined-up approach, involving health, social services and the financial sector. It is keen for all professionals who come into contact with older people to be given the training, guidance and support required to recognise and take action if financial abuse is suspected. Banks join forces to combat scammers High street banks in Nottinghamshire are teaming up with the countys trading standards team to help protect vulnerable residents from a whole raft of scams. These include: rogue tradespeople who doorstep their victims and encourage them to have roof, drive or other home repairs carried out; advance-fee scams in which the victim pays for a service but receives little or nothing in return; and lottery schemes where a victim is promised huge winnings if an administration charge is paid. In Nottinghamshire, four banks and building societies with local branches are being encouraged to alert trading standards to suspicious activity, particularly where vulnerable people are involved. The approach is focused on information sharing, and is helping to speed up investigations, raise awareness of scams, identify new cons quickly and prevent customers from being financially abused. In addition to better staff training, Age UK is calling on banks to improve their detection systems and change their approach to liability. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: An ageing population brings many positives, but also challenges, such as the steep rise in the number of older people with dementia and other cognitive problems which we know are a major risk factor for financial abuse. It is so important that we develop practical tools for organisations not just in the financial sector, but in health and care too to help staff who engage with older people to be alert to cognitive decline, the consequent risks of financial exploitation and abuse, and how best to prevent and tackle them. In addition, the fact that the overwhelming majority of families wantonly the best for their older relatives should not blind the authorities to the sad reality, which is that financial abuse does sometimes happen in families. The cost of growing old The average cost of staying in a care home has risen to more than 30,000 and, with the victims of scams twice as likely to end up in care, protecting the elderly from financial abuse is high on the agenda for trading standards teams across the UK. The Daily Express reported that there has been a steep rise in the cost of care over the past 12 months by 1,536, which is almost 10 times the increase in pensions over the same period. Research by Prestige Nursing + Care has found that the shortfall between care costs and pensioner income is now 16,470, a rise of more than 2,000 since 2014. A typical stay in a residential home is two and a half years. Malcolm McLean, senior consultant at finance experts Barnett Waddingham, said the cost of care homes and the ability of an ordinary person to pay for it had now reached crisis point. Those with more than 23,450 in savings and capital have to pay in full. Those with assets below the 14,250 threshold will continue to be supported through council funding. Weighing up the cost of justice LEWIS TSE PUI LUNG / SHUTTERSTOCK Trading standards spending has fallen to just 1.99 per person per year, after government cuts to the service. CTSIs chief executive, Leon Livermore, says the situation simply does not make sense and legal experts have warned that the reduction in budgets could result in trading standards teams having to weigh up whether to incur the higher costs of prosecuting a nationwide offender, or chasing several smaller-scale offenders or rogue traders. The figures, published in August in CTSIs latest Workforce Survey, also show that staff numbers have fallen by 53 per cent in the seven years from 2009, and the total spend on trading standards services has dropped from 213m to 124m. Livermore has spoken out against the cuts, saying: We have a situation where trading standards teams in local councils are tasked with holding multi-million-pound firms to account with just a handful ofstaff. This is in addition to their many other responsibilities in the community, such as catching rogue traders, preventing disease in the food chain, and providing business support to help grow the economy. Spending so little on market surveillance and consumer protection, with an economy as large as ours, simply does not make sense but nobody expects a blank cheque. Experts believe the cuts, which leave some budgets below 200,000, mean just one complex crown court prosecution is now beyond the reach of some local councils trading standards teams. Meanwhile, the economy has endured some of the biggest and most costly product and market failures in recent memory, including vehicle emissions, hoverboards, tumble driers and horsemeat. Although it is difficult to estimate the total cost of the detriment, CTSI has cited further reports and cases that suggest it is in the many billions of pounds. Livermore said the institute is calling for a government-led strategic restructure of trading standards services, adding that Britains exit from the European Union may result in further pressure on budgets. Dryer danger A make of tumble dryer that has caused 20 fires was also responsible for a blaze that killed a mother of two, Birmingham Coroners Court has ruled. Mishell Moloney, 49, died of smoke inhalation after a fire started around the dryers printed circuit board (PCB). The Beko 8kg DCS 85W model has been responsible for 20 other fires but, according to the manufacturer, because of the run capacitor, not the PCB. The companys director of quality, Andrew Mullen, told the BBC: We looked at the number of incidents against sales, the severity of the incidents and circumstances, and in those assessments they were all incidents that happened within 10 or 20 minutes of the tumble dryer being used. Nearly all those were when the tumble dryer was in unheated buildings, such as a shed or outhouse. In those cases, the risk of injury was low. The Beko 8kg DCS 85W has now been discontinued as part of a range change. Doyle is foiled A builder whose work led to a string of complaints has found his operations strictly curtailed under the Enterprise Act 2002. Complaints about Kevin Doyle, of Bellshill, Lanarkshire who traded as Brando Building Contractors included failure to provide cancellation rights, failure to exercise the requisite level of skill and care of a reasonably competent builder, and failure to carry out work within the time agreed, if at all. North Lanarkshire Trading Standards had no option but to take action to protect the interests of consumers, after all attempts to consult with Doyle and persuade him to resolve the complaints, and to trade fairly, proved fruitless. The order forbids Doyle: from undertaking any commercial practice without providing cancellation rights, where they apply; from failing to take reasonable care; or from breaching contracts with consumers. The penalty for breaching an enforcement order includes unlimited fines and can result in imprisonment. Somerset trader sentenced for selling counterfeit car accessories Trading in fake accessories for some of the best-known brands in the automobile industry has landed one trader from Somerset in hot water. After an investigation by Bath & North East Somerset Trading Standards, James Gunter, 33, of under the Trade Mark Act 1994. He asked for 21 other offences to be taken into account. Gunter trading as Car Style Direct admitted selling counterfeit car accessories and merchandise on eBay and through his personal website. Trading standards officers Ford, Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover and Overfinch. The disgraced trader was sentenced to a 12-month prison term suspended for two years, 240 hours of unpaid work, an electronic tag and curfew from 8pm Farmborough, pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court to 13 offences seized more than 8,000 items bearing counterfeit markings for to 8am for nine months, plus a twoyear supervision order.