A vulnerable couple in their eighties were groomed by fraudsters into believing that they were part of a major undercover police operation – which necessitated them buying a £44,000 Rolex.
The elaborate con is understood to have deceived the elderly pair so effectively that they were convinced they had to spend their life savings on the costly watch.
They were captured on CCTV as they went to a luxury jeweller to hand over the money – but instead police were called in as jewellery store workers became concerned that the couple were being controlled by a gang who had groomed them.
Spencer Dyer, who owns the store they were sent to by their gang masters, told MailOnline: ‘There are some despicable people out there who want to take advantage of elderly people.’
The bizarre crime bid was uncovered last month – and is thought to be a new form of the fraud known as ‘cuckooing’ in which criminals target older people still living independently and move in on them to start taking their savings.
Staff followed the couple from the store as they thought they were vulnerable and might be victims of a scam
Mr Dyer, who runs BQ Watches in Radlett, Hertfordshire, said alarm bells began ringing with his staff when the couple booked an appointment at his store in the leafy commuter-belt town.
He said: ‘They just did not seem the type who would be paying thousands for a watch. They knew what they wanted, but considering how much they were spending did not seem that knowledgeable.
‘They were also two hours later for the appointment and something just did not seem right.’
The couple told staff the watch was an investment for their grandson, but when they tried to complete the purchase their credit card was declined due to lack of funds.
Mr Dyer said his staff were suspicious of the pair as they said they were from Oxford and were staying overnight at a Travelodge hotel.
The couple, in their 80s, were captured on CCTV as they went to a luxury jeweller to hand over the money
The Travelodge where the elderly couple stayed overnight
‘A couple of my staff followed them from the store to a Pizza Express as they thought they were vulnerable and might be victims of a scam.
They called the police who came out and spoke with the couple who assured the officers they were fine and nothing was wrong.
‘But there was just something that did not sit right.’
Mr Dyer said the couple – whom MailOnline are not naming – returned the following morning and due to problems with their credit cards it took over three hours for the purchase to be completed.
He followed in his car when the couple took a taxi back to their hotel, where he called police again.
‘They had this very expensive watch, but did not seem that concerned about it. I was worried they could be robbed or that someone was making them to do this.
‘I just had a sixth sense about all of this. We get all types of people coming into the store to buy watches, and they did not seem the type to be spending over £40,000.’
Police attended the hotel and after speaking to the pair a second time they confessed a policeman had ordered them to buy the watch and was planning to pick them up at the hotel.
They said the bogus officer had given them the exact make and model of watch they should buy.
Mr Dyer said: ‘I think the real police being at the hotel scared them off. I am convinced that they would have just handed over the watch and they would have lost that along with the £44,000 they had paid out.
‘My staff and I were just very concerned for them and did not want to see them conned or hurt.’
Mr Dyer said he received an emotional email from the 88-year-old man who said his confidence had been shattered by the incident.
The victim wrote: ‘ I can only thank you all from the bottom of my heart for saving a foolish old man from himself. Your courtesy and concern were genuinely exemplary.
A staff member from the store reported the con to the police
‘Back home I am reliving the three most horrible days of my life, wondering how I could ever be taken in by this fake policeman.’
Mr Dyer said:’ We always try to help our customers and this was a great example of my staff going out of their way with their duty of care.
‘We all have someone who is elderly, and would not want to see them hurt in a way where they are conned out of money.’
He has offered to refund the couple’s money if they want to return the Rolex.
Conmen have used a variety of fake police scams to get money from the elderly. The most common scam involves fake police telephoning a victim to say their bank account has been compromised by criminals and they should transfer money to a new account.
No arrests have been made, but Hertfordshire Police are investigating the scam. The force said residents in Hertfordshire had been contacted in recent weeks by fraudsters posing as police officers.
Two residents in the Northwood area were contacted by fraudsters posing as police officers and asking one victim to buy a £157,000 watch from a jeweller. Another was told to pay £20,000.
The scam was discovered and the money returned to the victim before the valuable timepieces could be collected.
Detective Inspector Pete Hankins, from the Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: ‘This crime type has evolved over time. Criminals involved in courier fraud may still ask victims to withdraw cash or hand over their bank card and PIN, however we are increasingly dealing with reports where victims have been asked to purchase high-value items such as gold bars and watches, which are then collected by a courier.
‘It’s important to re-iterate that police officers or bank officials will never ask you for sensitive information like a PIN, or ask you to purchase high-value items to assist them with an enquiry.
‘Usually the intended victim realises the call is not genuine and refuses to part with their personal and bank details. However, these fraudsters can be very persuasive and insistent, which has resulted in some people falling victim to this scam and subsequently losing thousands of pounds.’
Staff at the store were so concerned for the elderly couple that they made sure their CCTV recorded the transaction.
In a series of stills taken from the video the couple can be seen chatting with staff as they discuss the Rolex watch.
This led to the couple confessing they had been duped and were on the point of handing over the £44,000 watch to scammers.