More than £20,000 has been recovered for fraud victims in the first two weeks of a relaunched advocacy initiative from Safer Communities’ Victim Care and Advice Service (VCAS).
The Fraud Financial Advocacy (FFA) service re-launched last month (Jan) after securing extra funding via money seized from criminals across Cleveland.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Cleveland, along with Cleveland’s four councils, teamed up to fund two part-time fraud financial advocates (FFA) based at VCAS in Stockton with fresh funding from the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).
More than £200,000 was recovered for victims from a previously funded, part-time fraud advocate, who helped victims get refunds and cancel fraudulently obtained loans.
The service is now back – and it’s bigger and better! It will directly help more fraud victims get back what’s rightfully theirs and prevent further scams.
It’s already helped victims to recover more than £20,000 – despite fraud advocates being in post for less than a month.
VCAS fraud advocates, Vicky Beaumont and Akmal Bashir, are now helping scores of vulnerable victims fight for compensation when banks fail to protect their accounts.
