by John Elworthy
A fraudster who attempted to steal over £9,000 from an elderly woman in a Cambridgeshire village has been sentenced to three years in prison. Mario Madeo, 27, posed as the victim’s daughter, claiming she was in trouble and needed financial help.
In March of last year, Madeo sent a text message to the victim, using a friend’s phone, stating that her own phone was broken. He fabricated a story about being in debt to a loans company and said bailiffs were due to visit her home later that day. The victim, believing she was helping her daughter, agreed to gather the money.
As Madeo arranged to pick up the cash, the victim contacted her daughter to confirm the story. Realizing it was a scam, she promptly called the police. Officers responded quickly and found Madeo waiting in a car nearby. When they dialed the number he had used to contact the victim, it rang in his possession.
Madeo was arrested for fraud by false representation and later pleaded guilty. In addition to his prison sentence, he was given a restraining order, and his phone and SIM cards were destroyed.
Detective Constable Lauren Kirkup praised the swift actions of the police in preventing the fraudster from succeeding. She emphasized the increasing sophistication of scams targeting vulnerable individuals, particularly the elderly.
The victim expressed relief at realizing the scam before any money was lost, urging others to verify unusual requests for cash and to contact the police if they feel something is amiss.