When most people think of fraud, it is easy to think of the high profile cases that impact on big firms or which see a lot of money being swindled. Depending on who the victim is, there are even occasions when this style of fraud can be seen as being glamorous and perhaps even a little bit sexy.
There is a touch of the Robin Hood about some crimes which leads many people to overlook the fact that a crime is being committed, and focus on the fact that they believe that someone is receiving karma that they deserve. However, this can be a dangerous approach to fraud, because there are always victims involved, and regardless of who they are and what they stand to lose, no one should be a victim of crime.
There is also the fact that if some people think that some victims are more deserving than others, should crimes be looked at with respect to who is hardest hit. You could argue that a millionaire wouldn’t miss a couple of thousand pounds but an elderly couple would really miss £100 being stolen from them due to a fraudulent act. It is far easier to view all fraud as being fraud, and considering who the victim is, and this will lead to justice being preserved for everyone.
Some frauds are more disliked than others
However, there is no getting away from the fact that there are some crimes and acts of fraud that really get you angry and when it comes to elderly people being defrauded in their own home; there is no lower type of crime. This has been the case in Burnley of late and two men have appeared in the crown court of the town to face charges of false representation.
Jake John Ashworth and Guljamal Din stand accused of overcharging a pensioner from Burnley by close to £10,000 for roofing work that wasn’t supposed to take place. The thing about roofing work is that very few people are going to argue with what people tell them. A pensioner isn’t going to climb up to their roof to have a lack at their roof and even if they did, they would be unlikely to know what the problems were.
Okay, if there was a gaping hole in the roof the issue would be fairly evident but a lot of genuine roofing issues and problems are a lot more subtle than that. This is why it can be very difficult to know exactly what is happening on the roof, and what the cost to fix the solution will be.
People need to be more savvy
This is where people should take the time and effort to get a few quotes and speak to firms with a great reputation in the local area. However, it is easy to see that some clients, especially pensioners can feel pressurised into making a decision, and they may be led to believe that they are receiving a special deal.
The uncertainty and number of unknowns in this market creates a situation where people can be swindled out of their money, which means that fraudsters will always be interested in making money. Where there is an opportunity to make money, people will always be interested in taking it, and a number of people are far more comfortable with breaking the law and committing fraud than the vast majority of the population.
You only have to look at the number of fraud cases and alleged fraud offences to realise that fraud is a major component of modern society. People accused of fraud are entitled to fair representation and just because someone has been accused of fraud doesn’t mean that they are guilty. However, there is no doubt that people who are found guilty of preying on the weak or vulnerable in society are looked down upon and there is a growing pressure to punish these people accordingly.
This can act as a deterrent to future crimes of this nature, but it will also act as a punishment for a crime that most of us wouldn’t comprehend carrying out. This is where it is vital that there legal defence solicitors who can provide accused parties with fair representation to make sure that they are punished in the most appropriate manner, if found guilty.
Andrew Reilly is a freelance writer with a focus on news stories and consumer interest articles. He has been writing professionally for 9 years but has been writing for as long as he can care to remember. When Andrew isn’t sat behind a laptop or researching a story, he will be found watching a gig or a game of football.
