Pensioner lost life savings responding to junk mail

An Oxfordshire pensioner who lost his life savings by replying to junk mail claiming he had won a lottery jackpot, has urged others not to fall into the same trap. Retired watch and clock repairer Graham Townsend signed thousands of cheques to companies offering to help him claim winnings, after being bombarded with up to 20 items of unsolicited mail a day. The stress of losing his savings left the diabetic so ill, he was admitted to hospital.

Despite spending more than £30,000 since last summer, he claimed just £64.75, and admits he is now struggling to make ends meet. It was only when his current account was emptied of cash that Mr Townsend, from Witney, realised that he wasn’t going to win any more cash. The 78-year-old now wants to warn others. He said: “When it ended I broke out in a sweat and realised what I had done.



“The offers looked authentic. There were letters saying ‘you have won’. But how wrong I was, and how gullible.” He said: “I was brain washed into thinking I had won. Apparently it’s some kind of syndrome.” The stress eventually led to stomach problems and complications with his diabetes, and he was last month rushed to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital. It was only then that his family realised the extent of the problem.

Davina Walkin, of Oxfordshire Trading Standards, said that, although confusing, the letters were not illegal because small print explained the terms and conditions. But she added: “Once one organisation gets hold of you, they will pass it on to others if they are successful with you. The only way to end it is to stop consumers responding in the first place. It comes down to being aware.”