Massive relief as scam victims recover £2million with police support

Fraud and cyber officers outside Riverside Police Station

Scam victims have recovered more than £2million with help from Nottinghamshire Police’s fraud and cyber teams.

A total of 143 victims were reimbursed last year with Protect officers helping them submit claims to their banks, which have a duty of care to protect customers from fraud and cybercrime.

In some instances, the officers also helped victims take their cases to the Financial Ombudsman Service – even though this level of support falls outside their job remit.

Fraud victims recovered £1,407,998 in 2024 after being supported by Nottinghamshire Police, while cybercrime victims were reimbursed £645,177. 

It is estimated at least £950k in losses were prevented after the force provided advice and assistance to people who called the police after suspecting they were being targeted.  

Meanwhile, both teams have helped thousands of people protect themselves from criminals by hosting engagement days at colleges, universities, libraries and cafes throughout the year. Data shows a further 1,350 people were directly spoken to or visited by Protect officers after falling victim to a fraudster.

Kirsty Jackson, a Cyber Protect & Prevent Officer within the force’s Cyber Crime Unit, said:

“I’ve always loved this part of my work, it’s equally important to me being in a position where I can provide support to victims in this way and compete this recovery process as a team with them.

“Recovering losses is usually something a victim knows nothing about so our guidance becomes a lifeline to someone impacted in this way. It’s not always about the money either, as it also becomes part of their own personal wellbeing journey too.

“Knowing they have tried to get their money back by doing all they can and having someone listen and support them, is sometimes all a victim needs to help them recover mentally from what can be a mixed if negative emotions when scammed. In fact, getting their money back is generally an added bonus for me and the victims we help.”

Protect officers Kirsty Jackson, Shaun Douglas and Dale Richardson

Among the victims helped by the Protect officers was a bride-to-be from Rushcliffe who was scammed by a bogus wedding planner.

Detective Sergeant Tara Clapperton, of the fraud team, said:

“The lady had sent £7,850 to a person purporting to be an overseas wedding planner. Sadly the event never materialised and she realised that the wedding planner did not exist and that she’d been scammed.

“The funds were lost and it had a profound impact on the couple. It was heartbreaking to see. We offered our support and gave her some advice on how to submit an indemnity claim to her bank.

“This was initially refused as the money had been sent overseas. However with her persistence and following the right process she was able to get all her funds recovered and is getting married this year.”

In another case, the fraud team helped an elderly couple from Mansfield recover £28,845 after they fell victim to a sophisticated courier fraud scam.

A man purporting to be a police officer coerced them to withdraw funds and purchase two Rolex watches to aid a large undercover fraud investigation. The criminal then posed as a courier to collect the cash and items from their address.

With the help of a Protect officer, the couple were reimbursed by their bank.

Elsewhere, Cyber Protect & Prevent Officer Mark Lonsdale supported a Retford pensioner who’d lost his life savings in an investment scam. Mark provided the victim with advice and support and this played a part in ensuring he could regain more than £80,000 from his bank. Mark said:

“We talked him through the Ombudsman process and the options available to him, including how he needed to approach the matter with his bank.

“He was devastated by what had happened. His mental health really suffered so it’s really rewarding when we can help people who find themselves in that situation.”

Cheryl Meadon, a fraud triage assistant, said a key aspect of her role was providing important advice to scam victims whenever they reach out to the police for help. She said:

“When we speak to people who have been scammed, many believe the money is gone and that there is no chance of them being recompensed.

“At that point, their emotions are understandably at a really heightened state and so they wouldn’t have thought about submitting an indemnity claim if it wasn’t for the advice we’re able to give them on the phone there and then.

“It feels great whenever we’re able to help someone in their hour of need.”

For guidance on how to protect yourself from scams, download Nottinghamshire Police’s fraud toolkit here: Fraud Toolkit (fliphtml5.com)