77-year-old man dies by suicide after £20,000 defrauded from Barclays account

Summary

Hugh Saunders, a 77-year-old man from Leek, took his own life at Rudyard Lake in North Staffordshire after fraudsters stole £20,000 from his Barclays account. He left a note at his Wallbridge Drive home stating, "I'm in Rudyard Lake," and explaining that his bank account had been defrauded. Barclays later reimbursed the stolen money, but Saunders, who had dementia, believed the issue was unresolved. His body was found in the lake two days after he went missing on August 20. An inquest concluded his death was a suicide, with the medical cause listed as immersion. Support helpline details were included in the article for those affected by mental health issues or fraud.