Family behind £2.4m alarm fraud sentenced to 16.5 years in prison

Three members of the same family were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday 6 November for their roles in a six-year, multi-million-pound fraud that deliberately targeted vulnerable homeowners.

Between December 2014 and September 2020, the family targeted property owners, including vulnerable and older people, across the UK. They cold called their victims, misleading them with false claims about their security alarms’ functionality. They often lied about the products’ ability to automatically alert the emergency services and secure a priority response.

Salespeople visited victims in their homes and used illegal pressure-selling techniques, including time-limited offers, to push them into making immediate decisions and signing agreements costing thousands of pounds. Some victims were repeatedly targeted for further payments which they did not owe.

The sentences follow an investigation by the National Trading Standards Regional Investigations Team Central England in conjunction with Dudley MBC Trading Standards Service.

• Kevin Paul Powell, 46, presently in Cyprus – sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment after being convicted of fraudulent trading and money laundering. He is also banned from working as a company director for 15 years. He had previously pleaded guilty to being involved in the management of a company while subject to a director disqualification.

• Lyndsey Jayne Powell, 45, presently in Cyprus – sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment after being convicted of fraudulent trading and money laundering. She is also banned from working as a company director for 10 years. She had previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting Kevin Powell in the management of a company while he was disqualified.

• John Nigel Powell, 72, of Kingswinford, West Midlands – sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, after being convicted of fraudulent trading, money laundering and aiding and abetting a disqualified director in the management of a company. He is also banned from working as a company director for 5 years.

Kevin and Lyndsey Powell are husband and wife, while John Powell is Kevin Powell’s father. Kevin and Lyndsey are currently in Cyprus and were sentenced in their absence having failed to answer to bail. A warrant is out for their arrest.

The businesses, trading under a number of entities including Brit Fire and Security Limited, Brit Fire and Security Services Limited and Twenty4Severn Monitored Protection Limited, were based in Dudley, West Midlands. They used dishonest sales scripts designed to frighten elderly and vulnerable people into agreeing to sales visits, with one script specifically written for people aged over 80. Customers were initially told they could receive a free or heavily discounted alarm to secure an appointment.

Once inside customers’ homes, salespeople sold them alarm systems together with five-year maintenance and monitoring packages, with contracts typically costing between £3,000 and £5,000. In one exchange, after elderly customers said they wanted to discuss the decision with their sons, Kevin Powell responded: “We don’t do delayed decisions”, instructing staff to emphasise that equipment offers would disappear once they left the property.

One victim, an 81-year-old man who cared for his wife with Alzheimer’s, was told the alarm would connect directly to the police and fire service. When his son later helped him cancel the agreement he had been pressured to sign, the company demanded £515 to remove the alarm.

Another victim was 81 when he was first sold an alarm and a five-year monitoring package costing £3,873. Several years later, he and his wife were targeted again as their existing monitoring contract was coming to an end. Kevin Powell visited their home and frightened the couple with warnings about burglary. Although they explained they were moving house and wanted only a one-year monitoring agreement, Powell told them that only five-year contracts were available.

Lord Bichard, Chair of National Trading Standards, said:

“The victims in this case suffered serious financial and emotional harm, with some targeted repeatedly over a six-year period. Those responsible deliberately preyed on homeowners, including vulnerable and older people, exploiting their concerns about crime and safety to pressure them into handing over thousands of pounds. This was calculated and sustained offending that caused real distress to those targeted.

“Anyone who is concerned that they or someone they know has been targeted by fraudulent traders should contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133.”

Confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 will take place at a later date.