Need a favour everyone!

I've just found out that my elderly dad has been getting sucked into these scam letters. You know the ones you get every now and again in your post promising a big fat cheque if you reply to them.

I've only just discovered how bad he was into them, after my mum came and asked me for ?500 that I owed her from a few weeks back.
When I quized her about why she had no money, I found out my dad has been sending up to ?100 a day in postal orders to these companies in the hope that they'll send him his big cheque for ?20,000.

The girls in the post office have been trying to tell him that it's a scam but either he's not hearing the girls properly due to bad hearing, or he's simply not listening!
The postman also informed me that he's putting through his door on average about 20 to 40 different scam letters a day!!!!! All of which he's sending money off to.

All the family have spoken to him about it, telling him that it's a scam, but he just wont listen. I've also got Jackie Bailie MSP coming to speak to him on Monday after I raised the issue of these letters with her. I'm hoping my dad listens to her, he holds a lot of respect for the woman.

I've done a mail divert without my dad realising what's going on, in order to sift out the junk before putting the mail back through his door, although I think he might twig soon. But so far in 5 days of mail, I've got over 80 letters and 5 parcels all from these companies. One name seems to be coming through a lot, and that's a company called "Vital beauty". I done this becuse I walked in on him filling out yet another form with his credit card details on it. I don't know how many times he's done this, but they'll drain every penny from it is my guess!!!

It's my intention to write to these companies but I don't hold much hope of getting his name removed from the mailing list, every one of the companies mail goes to a PO Box.

You's might have recently read about a pensioner who was drained of her life savings of ?50,000 by a scam company? She eventually died without seeing any cheque. Her daugter has started up a website www.thinkjessica.com to highlight this problem.

It's seems like it's not a well known problem but she's started an online petetion but she's only got 700 signatures and she desperately needs more before the deadline at the end of september.

I know it's a pain in the ass, but could you please take the time to fill the petition out to try and stop this kind of thing happening in the future.

Thanks for reading

Link for the petition.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/think-jessica/

Just to give you an idea of how bad this is. This is the mail I got through this morning! Only 1 letter was legit!



18 letters there!

Done. hope you get some results on this..  

there sick mate,government should shut them down!!!
feel for you mate
Bert

Bert said

there sick mate,government should shut them down!!!
feel for you mate
Bert

Beleive it or not mate, but the Royal mail actually have their finger in this pie, they're making money off it too. They actually own a share of one of the companies called Vital beauty.

Bloody Idiots

Hope it gets sorted for you mate.

too many backhanders then  :evil:
Bert

makes you feel like going to the adress your dads sending money to, taking a gallon of petrol and a few matches............ 8)

Most of the firms involved are based in europe and you will never get hold of them! you need to get a form from the council and there is a tick box question on it about recieving mail like this and he can have his name removed from the mailing list and then you already done the divert mail so over time it will reduce but not totally!

Ask watchdog or the ferret they will help you and maybe go on the telley!

8O That's poor crack that! I have signed, hope you get it sorted soon.

The other thing is that once you reply and send cash to one of these scum of the earth they then sell the details to other scum bags who do exactly the same thing. It's a bloody outrage and all the government do is warm people to be wary of these scams rather than track them down and administer justice.  :evil: Makes my blood boil
Chris

Can you post the link directly to the petition? I can't find it: my laptop seems to be having problems seeing some of the links on that site.

Petition signed and I hope it helps
Jai