'Professional conman' targeted vulnerable residents out of more than £500,000

Joseph Anthony Oliver, previously known as Joseph Miller, 34, of Lytham St Annes, near Blackpool, pleaded guilty to two counts of participating in a fraudulent business under the Companies Act 2006, at Caernarfon Crown Court in May. In a letter to the judge expressing remorse, he described his own behaviour as “hideous, disgusting crimes that make you feel sick.”

His successful prosecution on Monday 29 July followed a co-ordinated investigation by Lancashire County Council's Trading Standards, Isle of Anglesey Trading Standards and Trading Standards Wales Regional Investigation Team, funded by National Trading Standards.

The investigations identified a total of 39 victims aged between 53 and 93 years old, including eight from Lancashire.

The judge, who also disqualified him from being a director for 10 years, said that Oliver "rinsed his elderly and vulnerable victims for as much as possible" with "appalling dishonesty and exploitation."

The court heard that between January 2017 and May 2020, whilst trading as LJ Property Solutions Ltd, Joseph Anthony Oliver targeted mainly older homeowners who had money and could no longer keep up the maintenance of the property themselves.

Many of his victims were widowed, struggling with mobility or limited vision. Between August 2020 and June 2023, trading as Windowseal Ltd, he utilised the same trade practices targeting vulnerable residents in Lancashire.

Under the guise of offering window maintenance policies, victims would receive a cold call claiming that they were in the area and a visit arranged to assess their windows. The investigation revealed the real purpose of this initial and various subsequent visits were to persuade the customer to have additional property maintenance work. This included roofing work, that was usually not required, frequently not undertaken and any work that was undertaken was of poor quality usually resulting in damage to the property that wasn’t previously present. Once identified, victims were repeatedly targeted and exploited.

Individual victims were defrauded of between £60 and £120,000, with a total fraud value calculated in excess of £500,000. In addition to the damage to property, the experience had a detrimental effect on the health of the victims, who described Mr Oliver as ‘calculating, manipulative, ruthless and a professional conman.'

The victims reported significant stress and fear as a result of the frauds, which left them feeling ashamed, embarrassed and vulnerable and a number of the victims passed away within a year of the frauds.

Mr Oliver had also run a previous company which was alleged to have over-charged elderly and vulnerable people, about which he had been spoken to personally by Trading Standards officers. Despite this, he set up LJ Property Solutions and Windowseal Ltd and continued his dishonest trading practices.

County Councillor Michael Green, cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing at Lancashire County Council said: “Once again our Trading Standards team, this time working with national colleagues, have sought justice for vulnerable Lancashire residents and shown the strong message that crime doesn’t pay.

"This case is a particularly disgusting example of how unscrupulous individuals can manipulate vulnerable residents.  The impact upon the victims have been harrowing.  They and their families can now take some comfort that this criminal has been brought to justice.

"Rogue traders cause financial and psychological distress to their victims and families, who lose their hard-earned savings for work that is unnecessary, poorly done or incomplete. This prosecution sends out a clear signal that rogue traders are not welcome in Lancashire, and that if you target our residents, our Trading Standards team will pursue you."

To report a rogue trader, contact the Trading Standards Service via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133. You are advised never to deal with cold callers, ask for and check references, and obtain quotes from a number of businesses to compare prices. The county council’s Lancashire Safe Trader scheme lists details of reputable traders in the area at website safetrader.org.uk.