'I'LL NEVER RECOVER'
Former Eastenders star reveals torment after pal stole £120,000 in fake Hillary Clinton TV show scam
The plot came to an end when she was jailed in London for trying to con filmmakers
AN EX-SOAP star told how she’ll “never recover” after her pal scammed her into paying for a fake TV show about Hilary Clinton.
Former Eastenders actress Helena Breck, 70, handed sick fantasist Ann Leuser about £120,000 over six years.
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She told how English cops weren’t interested but officers and prosecutors north of the border eventually took action.
Leuser, 63, from Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, was caged for three years.
Helena, who played the wife of Walford baddie James Wilmott-Brown, said: “I’m extremely relieved that justice has finally been served.
“She has shown no remorse for the trust that she has abused, the pain she has caused, or the crimes that she commits.
“I’ll never recover financially from the damage that she has caused.
"But I hope that others might be protected from this callous fraudster, at least for the time that she is in prison.”
This was against someone who you considered to be a friend...You exaggerated and embellished and continue to blame her for some of your offending
Beak Craig Findlater
Leuser claimed she knew Hillary Clinton and would be getting behind the scenes access to her 2016 presidential campaign.
Helena believed the web of lies and regularly handed overpayments to cover her friend’s expenses from 2011 to 2017.
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But the plot came to an end when she was jailed in London for trying to con filmmakers out of £120,000 with the same tales.
At Peterhead Sheriff Court, beak Craig Findlater told Leuser: “This was against someone who you considered to be a friend.
AI cloned my voice in minutes showing how easy it is for scammers - it sounded just like me & one friend even agreed to transfer £1k for flights
“And, for her part, she considered you to be a friend to her.
“You exaggerated and embellished and continue to blame her for some of your offending.
"You do, in the report, acknowledge that you have done wrong at some point.
“Only a custodial sentence is appropriate because of the scale of the fraud, the monetary value, the length of time involved and the impact upon the victim.”
What to do if you're a victim of fraud
ACCORDING to Victim Support, only five per cent of frauds and scams in Scotland are reported.
Police Scotland’s has information and details on how to protect yourself from fraudsters and the support available.
Please report scams to Police Scotland on 101 or on 0808 164 6000.
It is important that we report all instances of fraud to stop it happening to someone else.
You should also contact your bank and credit card company right away.
Victim Support Scotland can support you through this process: 0800 160 1985.
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