Gateshead woman scammed out of money raised to take disabled boy, 4, to Disneyland

The guardian of a disabled four-year-old boy has been scammed out of hundreds of pounds she raised to take him to Disneyland Paris before he loses his eyesight.

Declan McMaster-King, from Gateshead, has an incurable illness called Batten Disease, which means he has a host of health problems and is unlikely to reach his teens.

Great-aunt Vicki King, who is his guardian, had raised £1,693 to take him on the trip of a lifetime this year before his eyesight completely deteriorates.

His condition affects the nervous system, causing seizures, visual impairment, mobility loss and early death.

Ms King, 39, said losing all the money has been "heartbreaking".

She was contacted by a scammer who pretended to be from Barclays bank on 19 April this year. They told her that her account was vulnerable and in order to protect the fundraised money she should transfer it all into safe account.

Ms King said the scammer was convincing and went through security questions and even knew she had two accounts and what shops she had spent money in recently.

She said: “It’s not the first time money has come out of my account so when he said my account had been jeopardised and then went through the security questions, that’s why I didn’t doubt him.

“He even knew the balance of the children’s account where the fundraising money was- which is why I didn’t doubt him for a second."

Ms King, who has two other children, Anthony Anderson-Forbes, 10, and Lily-Mae Anderson-Forbes, two, transferred the scammer £1,693 from Declan's bank account and £100 from her own account.

"He was trying to hurry me. I have two other children as well and with the three of them it just completely caught me off guard" she said.

Five minutes later, she called Barclays to check the call was legitimate and was told that it was not.

“I actually vomited, I was physically sick, I just sobbed and sobbed, I felt ill", she said.

She believes she was targeted by the scammer because she had been fundraising for the Paris trip, which she started in January.

She added: "It was to make sure before he loses his eye sight completely we get him to Disneyland, to see the things that not every kid gets to experience.”

“He’s a little boy who probably won’t make it into his teens and it’s just heartbreaking to think.

“It absolutely sicken me to be fair to think that the scammer knew what that money was for."

Declan began suffering from seizures and, during 2022, he had brain scans, MRI scans, a lumbar puncture and genetic tests. He was diagnosed with Batten Disease, which affects between 30 and 50 children in the UK, on 5 December last year.

Ms King takes Declan to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London every three months as he may be able to take part in a medical trial using enzymes to try and prolong his eyesight.

Since the story of her being scammed has been published online she said she has received some negative comments about deciding to send the money to the scammer.

She said: “I was just trying to protect the bairn’s money.

“I know I shouldn’t read comments and I shouldn’t take notice but it’s like some of them are harsh. I know the truth and I know I did everything in my power to help the bairn.

“To feel like I’m in the wrong, that’s how I’ve been made to feel. Yes, I did transfer the money but I was coerced into transferring the money.

“I do blame myself and I do feel guilty.”

The family has now set up a GoFundMe page to raise the funds again to take Declan to Disneyland Paris which has raised £1,550 of the £2,000 target.

A spokesperson for the Financial Ombudsman Service said: "Being the victim of a fraud or a scam can be a terrible experience – both financially and emotionally – but support is available.

"The Financial Ombudsman Service helps hundreds of people a week who have been scammed. If you think you’ve been treated unfairly by your bank, you should get in contact with our service and we’ll see if we can help.

"We are a free, independent service set up to resolve financial disputes informally and fairly. Each case is investigated on its own merits."

Pauline Smith, head of Action Fraud, confirmed a report was made by Ms King on 22 April 2023. She added: "It was assessed by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) at the City of London Police but has not been passed to a police force for investigation at this time."

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