Steven Long, 59, of Kesgrave, has been sentenced to eight years and four months in prison for a fraudulent scheme that targeted elderly individuals, resulting in over 115 victims losing a total of approximately £11.5 million. Operating under the entity Universal Wealth Preservation (UWP) between 2008 and 2018, Long utilized professional seminars at luxury hotels to gain the confidence of his clients.
Many victims, such as the late Donald Matthews, were persuaded to transfer their property titles to UWP under the guise of asset protection to avoid future care home fees. Instead of safeguarding these assets, Long sold the homes and kept the proceeds to sustain his company and fund a lavish lifestyle. Paul Matthews, the son of the late Donald Matthews, expressed deep anger, noting that his family never received the funds from the sale of their parents’ house. Similarly, sisters Deborah Wildish and Belinda Bosi reported being owed £84,000 following a botched property sale managed by Long.
Detective Chief Inspector Rob Burns of the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit stated that although UWP may have initially functioned as a legitimate business, Long eventually resorted to criminal activity to cover mounting financial losses. Following his arrest in 2018, Long pleaded guilty to multiple counts of fraud by abuse of trust. His associate, Raymond Simpson, was also sentenced to five and a half years in prison after being convicted in his absence. Legal experts warn that the promise of ‘ring-fencing’ property to avoid care costs is a common red flag, as such actions are often classified as deliberate deprivation of assets by social services.
