A conman has been sentenced to eight years and four months in prison for defrauding 115 people, mainly elderly, out of £11.5m. The victims were targeted through a trust scheme that promised to protect their assets.
The scheme, run by Steven Long, 59, from Kesgrave near Ipswich, was designed to sell victims' homes without their knowledge or consent. Long would advertise his services by posting leaflets through front doors across England, including in Kent, Essex, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire.
One of the victims, Paul Matthews, described Long's actions as 'disgusting' after his father was defrauded out of £3,500 upfront and £211 per year. Matthews said his father was of sound mind when he signed over his home to Long's company, Universal Wealth Preservation (UWP), but was left with nothing after his death.
Deborah Wildish and her sister Belinda Bosi also fell victim to Long's scam, losing thousands of pounds. They attended a meeting at a hotel in Eastbourne where Long presented himself as trustworthy and competent. However, after their parents passed away, they were unable to access their money, with some £84,000 still missing.
Det Ch Insp Rob Burns, who worked on the investigation, said Long would utilise luxury hotels and conferences to meet potential victims and build trust. Long's company ran several businesses under UWP in Ipswich between 2008 and 2018.