Mail Online

The FOUR ‘big name offers’ sent to Ron, 85

SINCE the beginning of last month, businessman Ron

Newman has been targeted by fraudsters, looking to get him to part with money.

Although he has never been tempted – he’s too shrewd for that – the 85-year-old is concerned that others receiving the same bond offers could be deceived.

‘The bond deals look amazingly genuine,’ he says, ‘and could fool a lot of people into losing their money.’

In recent weeks, Ron who lives with wife Joyce in Shepperton, Surrey, has received bond ‘offers’ from Heathrow, M&S, Centrica and EDF Energy. All sent by email.

All promise to pay generous rates of fixed interest – up to 7.125 per cent – and are dressed up as ‘green’ friendly.

In some instances, Ron has also received ‘come-ons’, urging him not to miss out due to ‘high levels of applications’.

The last bond offer he received was purportedly from EDF Energy, promising an annual fixed rate of interest of up to 6.95 per cent. Ron, a keen golfer, made his money selling clothing and equipment to lawn bowls players. He is now comfortably off and he gives too-good-to-be-true offers short shrift. But he wishes such mailings could be curbed.

All four companies where details had been cloned told the MoS they were aware of the fraudulent bonds.

Heathrow said its cyber-fraud team had been alerted, while Centrica said it had acted to take down the website behind the fraudulent bond.

Wealth & Personal Finance

en-gb

2023-03-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://mailonline.pressreader.com/article/283003994042767

dmg media (UK)