Pensioner risk

Two recent cases indicate that age is no bar for criminal activity and indeed the older you are the more likely the scam will be highly skilled and contain some thinking outside the box.

First there was the group led by a 71 year old who managed to sell a property they didn't own to the Candy brothers, two of the most active property developers in London, for several million pounds.

Then the £5 million banknote forgery carried out in the front room of an 83 year old's home. The results were so good that only the ink and the paper gave them away, it was reported. They believed in doing things in some style, the only time the gang met up was in Claridges. It is not recorded whether they paid in dud notes or not.

Whilst these show commendable initiative and no desire for early retirement and may, for all I know be the tip of an iceberg of geriatric crime, there is only one thing seriously wrong with these activities, besides the obvious one that they are illegal- the criminals in question got caught and have been sentenced to spend several of their dwindling years in prison. There is something in having too much form perhaps.

Gullible grannies

There has been a 60 minute documentary on Japanese morning TV to educate Japanese grandmothers on the dangers of a telephone scam. The con artists dial at random and just by saying "Hello it's me" persuade elderly women that they are talking to their grandson. They then tell her that they are in trouble with their company and need money,usually around Yen 4 million (Stg 30,000 at present exchange rates) or face the sack. They give details of where the money should be sent.

Despite checks at the banks where they try to explain that this is a scam the grandmothers have parted with over Yen 14,200,000,000 (over Stg 100 million) this year alone. The TV progamme is yet another way of trying to protect them from this scam. It is doubtful that it will have much impact.