EastEnders character Jean Slater has discovered she is the victim of an intricate pension scam as part of a storyline highlighting common scams and frauds.
On Thursday’s episode of the BBC soap, Jean, who is played by Gillian Wright, discovers the “financial advisers” she had trusted to invest her money from a long-forgotten pension fund are criminals who have stolen everything she has invested.
The story is part of BBC’s Scam Safe initiative and has seen the soap work with experts in the field, including scams expert Nick Stapleton, The Pensions Regulator and Stop Scams UK.
On the British soap, Jean will discover more about the scammers and deal with the practical and emotional fallout of the crime.
EastEnders executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: “Jean’s story will highlight the extreme strategies scammers use to gain a victim’s trust to convince them into parting with serious sums of money.
“Not only will Jean have to cope with losing her pension money, but she’ll also have to deal with a range of difficult emotions as she tells her family and friends what’s happened.”
Stapleton, scams expert and BBC Scam Safe spokesperson, said: “I am incredibly happy to see the issue of scams and fraud getting the attention it deserves with a storyline on one of the nation’s favourite soaps.
“Scams are one of the greatest challenges of modern times; not just the money we lose to scammers as a country, but the emotional and psychological impact for those who go through one. It’s high time we brought that fully into the mainstream, and EastEnders is leading the way.”
James Masters, head of communications at Stop Scams UK, added: “At Stop Scams UK, we’re proud to have worked with EastEnders to highlight the devastating impact scams can have on people’s lives.
“Storylines like Jean’s are powerful tools for raising awareness and empowering the public to spot and avoid scams.
“By bringing these issues to life during BBC Scam Safe Week, EastEnders is playing a crucial role in helping to educate viewers and highlighting the importance of staying vigilant against scams.”
