Oliver, a 78-year-old retiree, was targeted in two sophisticated scams that led him to lose over £126,000. After contacting CEL Solicitors, Oliver was able to recover his money and additional interest.
Loss 1: The Investment Scam
Oliver was taken in by a too-good-to-be-true advert featuring actor Rob Brydon endorsing a cryptocurrency trading platform called Monafoli. In reality, the ad was fake, using Brydon’s likeness without his permission to lure people in – a common tactic fraudsters use to create a false sense of credibility. Convinced by what he thought was a genuine endorsement, Oliver proceeded to enquire.
Oliver soon received a phone call from a person claiming to be an account manager at Monafoli. To get him started, the scammer instructed Oliver to download AnyDesk, a remote access software, supposedly to assist him with trading. However, by using AnyDesk, the fraudster could remotely control Oliver’s device, gaining direct access to his financial information and accounts.
Over the following months, Oliver was manipulated into making increasingly large deposits, eventually taking out a £20,000 loan to cover a supposed ‘withdrawal fee’. When he later attempted to access his funds, he was informed that his account had been frozen, leaving him unable to withdraw any money. It was then that Oliver learned that he had lost a huge portion of his life’s savings to a cruel investment scam.
Loss 2: The Recovery Scam
After realising he had been scammed by Monafoli, Oliver searched desperately for ways to recover his lost funds. During this search, he came across Superior Chargeback, a company that claimed to specialise in fraud recovery. Oliver reached out to a representative, who promised they could retrieve his funds for a fee.
The representative—who was, in fact, another scammer—assured Oliver that they had successfully helped other fraud victims recover money from Monafoli. Eager to get his savings back, Oliver paid an initial ‘solicitor’s fee’ of £1,500. Soon after, the scammers informed Oliver that they had located his funds but needed further payment to release them. Pressured by an ultimatum, Oliver felt he had no choice and made a final payment of £10,000.
After this final payment, Oliver tried to reach the representative, but his calls went unanswered. As weeks passed without any updates or recovered funds, Oliver came to the painful realisation that he had fallen victim to yet another scam.
Contacting CEL Solicitors
Understandably devastated by the financial loss he had suffered, Oliver reached out to CEL Solicitors’ dedicated fraud and scam team. CEL Solicitors successfully recovered £134,348.29 for Oliver, which included interest on the funds he lost, helping to restore his financial stability and peace of mind.
Commenting on Oliver’s case, Elle Yates, Trainee Solicitor and FOS Team Manager said:
“This client’s case highlights not only the devastating impact of investment scams but also the ruthless way in which scammers will often re-target individuals through so-called ‘recovery scams.’
“Fraudsters prey on the desperation and vulnerability of those who have already suffered great financial loss, promising to recover funds but ultimately taking even more.
“At CEL Solicitors, we would urge anyone who has fallen victim to a scam to be extremely cautious of anyone asking for upfront fees for recovery services.”
