Good Samaritans are coming to the aid of a pensioner conned out of £1, 200 after reading about her plight in The Argus.

The good causes website 52 Lives is helping the 85 year old woman from Brighton, who was the victim of a cruel con last month. Now that the site is trying to recover the money she lost to the cheats through donations.

The 85 year old woman, from Beaconsfield Road, Brighton, who asked not to be named, was targeted twice in two days by crooks who took £600 from her on each occasion.

The 'extremely vulnerable' victim was telephoned and told she needed to pay £600 for a dehumidifier with someone visiting later that day to collect the money. The following day, she was phoned again by a man who told her he was a police officer and said she needed to give £600 to a man who would come to her address so they could catch him in a police operation.
Shocked by the cruel trick, the pensioner was nominated for assistance from 52 Lives - a website founded in November last year designed to change someone's life every week of the year.

Founder Jamie Thurston launched the site after reading of a woman's plea in Australia who wanted some rugs to stop her children from cutting their feet on a broken floor. Since then the website has assisted hundreds of gooo causes in the UK and Australia.

It recieves up to 200 requests for  help a week and has an army of 3,000 followers who regularly help those in need.
Mrs Thurston said: 

'I have been speaking with her niece, who described her as kind, generous and a very trusting woman - lovely traits which these people have taken advantage of. Right now, she is feeling confused, foolish and upset about the whole thing. She hasn't asked for any help, but I would like to help her.'

One of the conmen is described as while, 6ft and 30 years old with dark hair. The second man as white, slim and 5ft 6in, with ginger hair and a beard. Anyone with any information is asked to e-mail Sussex Police on 1-1@sussexpnn.police.uk or call 101, quoting 1112 of 23/9.

The Argus