Christopher Harvey, 35, of Windsor Avenue, Wolverhampton, carried out a series of fraudulent acts against elderly victims, stealing their bank cards after they were tricked by fraudulent phone calls. The victims, a man and a woman from Maesteg and Cumberland, respectively, were deceived by someone claiming to be from their bank or a private investigator, informing them of fraudulent activity on their accounts.
The first fraud occurred on November 22 when an 80-year-old woman received a call claiming her account had been compromised. She was persuaded to provide her bank details and allowed Harvey to visit her home in Cumberland to collect her bank cards. Later, £250 was withdrawn from her account before she realized the scam and contacted her bank, which froze her card. Four additional withdrawal attempts of £1,000 were unsuccessful.
The second fraud took place on December 9, when an 83-year-old man from Maesteg received a similar call from a private investigator. After providing his bank details, Harvey was sent to collect the man’s six bank cards, supposedly to check for fingerprints. The victim later discovered that £3,697 had been spent at a Curry’s store in Bridgend using one of his cards.
Harvey was arrested after being identified from CCTV and an ANPR camera. He was found with the victims’ bank cards in his possession and later pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation and two counts of fraud. During questioning, Harvey claimed he was coerced into the crimes, being paid between £200 and £250 per job. He expressed regret for his actions but continued due to the threats.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the second victim shared how devastated he felt, stating, “I feel totally devastated this young man has come to my home and taken advantage of my good nature by pretending to be my bank… It’s had a lasting effect on my life.”
Harvey’s defense attorney, Kathryn Lane, noted that he was diagnosed with autism in childhood, and his family was supportive of his rehabilitation. However, Judge Daniel Williams stressed the seriousness of defrauding vulnerable individuals and sentenced Harvey to 14 months in prison. He will serve half of his sentence in custody before being released on license.
