A Middlesbrough mother and daughter who lost their £56,000 life savings to three rogue traders in a roof repair scam have recovered the full amount from their bank. Sandra Taylor-Warren, 46, and her mother Sue Taylor, 78, received the money back from Nationwide on July 14, 2026, after nearly four years of anxiety and financial struggle.
Sandra, from Tollesby, said: "It was literally everything we had." The family's ordeal began in summer 2022 when a leaking upstairs shower caused part of the ceiling in their breakfast room to collapse.
How the scam unfolded
A handyman who had previously completed satisfactory work was contacted again, but what started as routine decorating quickly escalated into extensive roof repairs. Sandra claims the trader removed ceiling tiles, went into the loft and insisted the roof was leaking. He then shifted roof tiles, leaving the family with even greater problems. The first trader was paid approximately £18,000.
When they sought help from specialist roofers, a leaflet promoting roofing services arrived on their doorstep. The contractors appeared legitimate, wearing uniforms and looking "the real deal", but Sandra says they left the roof in an even worse state after receiving more than £30,000. "It was leaking into next door," she said. "The guttering wasn't attached and the tiles were coming off. We were worried that the roof was going to come in."
A third trader was enlisted to fix the damage, but Sandra says he compounded the issues further, costing the family an additional £8,000. The three traders were unconnected.
Recovery through the Financial Fraud Advocacy Service
The case centred on a tactic known as 'bouncing the job', where a minor repair snowballs as supposedly essential additional work is uncovered and costs mount rapidly. By the time the ordeal concluded, approximately £56,000 of Sue's savings had disappeared. Sandra said: "It was mum's money, I felt awful because it was me who'd gone forward with it all, thinking I was helping."
Trading Standards stepped in while investigating the traders and directed Sandra towards Safer Communities' Financial Fraud Advocacy Service. Sandra had already spent several years attempting to recoup the money through Nationwide, without success. She said: "We were constantly on at them, ringing them, emailing them."
Financial Fraud Advocate Vicky Beaumont took on the case, supporting Sandra in her dealings with the bank and pursuit of the refund. Sandra said: "Vicky was amazing. Absolutely amazing. She helped us get in touch with the bank and speak to them. She knew what she was asking and what to do basically - and she guided me. I don't think I could have done it without her."
Impact and support
On July 14, 2026, Nationwide returned the full £56,000. Yet the financial loss represented only one aspect of the family's suffering. Sandra said: "It's been horrendous, absolutely horrendous - and it's made my health really bad." She described "a lot of sleepless nights" and said getting the money back was "a very great relief". The ordeal also left the family struggling to trust the legitimate roofers who were eventually hired to carry out the repairs. Sandra said: "It was really hard to trust these roofers to come and do the roof. All the way through, we've been worrying and panicking."
Financial Fraud Advocate Vicky Beaumont said: "By the time people come to us, they may already have spent months, or sometimes years, trying to resolve what has happened. Our role is to go back through the case, understand exactly what happened, gather the evidence and look at the routes that may still be open to the victim. In Sandra's case, we were able to work with her and take the matter forward with Nationwide, which resulted in the full £56,000 being returned. That is obviously a significant financial result, but you cannot underestimate what dealing with something like this for years does to a person. Fraud affects people emotionally as well as financially."
Safer Communities' Financial Fraud Advocacy service assists victims in compiling evidence, disputing decisions made by financial institutions and pursuing complaints through the Financial Ombudsman Service, where necessary. The service receives funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland and local Trading Standards teams, using money recovered from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The service has to date secured in excess of £1.5m for victims, and its funding has recently been extended.
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey said: "In terms of outcomes, this must be one of the most successful victims' programmes, which we have ever helped to fund. Not only have financial fraud advocates recovered more than £1.5m but they've helped so many vulnerable victims. Fraud not only hurts people's pockets, it also hurts their hearts and minds. Victims are left feeling ashamed that they have fallen victim to scammers and mistrustful that other people may try to exploit them in future. My message to victims is clear – it's not your fault! FFAs – and Safer Communities - are here to help you recover from what has happened and prevent you from becoming a victim of fraud in future."
Sandra hopes that by sharing her ordeal, she can alert others to how rapidly a seemingly simple home repair can descend into chaos. She said: "The more people that are aware that these things can happen, the better."
