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Heartless fraudsters conned woman, 70, out of thousands of pounds just hours after terminal cancer diagnosis

Heartless fraudsters conned a woman out of thousands of pounds just hours after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Hours after 70-year-old Linda Gibbs was told her illness was terminal on July 14, criminals claiming to be from her telephone providers called her to tell her a direct debit payment had failed.

They asked for her bank details and PIN and said someone would visit her to pick up the card. A woman then came to her door and collected the card which was used to spend thousands of pounds at a jewellers in Warwickshire.

<em>Investigation – police have now released images of a woman they want to speak to in connection with the investigation (Picture: SWNS)</em>
Investigation – police have now released images of a woman they want to speak to in connection with the investigation (Picture: SWNS)

Mrs Gibbs, of Coniston Way, Nuneaton, Warwickshire died on August 31.

Police have now released images of a woman they want to speak to in connection with the investigation.

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Mrs Gibbs’ daughter Anita Foxley said: “My mum was very vulnerable after being told she had terminal cancer and to be targeted by these people is unforgivable.

“The extra stress this put on her life in her last days was unbearable.”

<em>Stress – Mrs Gibbs’ daughter said the extra stress on her mother in her last days was unbearable</em>
Stress – Mrs Gibbs’ daughter said the extra stress on her mother in her last days was unbearable

Kevin Knight, of Warwickshire Police, added: “These types of heartless criminals regularly prey on the most vulnerable members of the community and in this case they have targeted someone who had just received the most awful news.”

(Top picture: Rex)