Trainee financial adviser jailed for stealing parents' life savings

Spent more than £130,000

Victoria McKeever
clock • 1 min read

Melissa Humphreys has been given a three-year jail sentence for stealing £130,000 of her retired parents' savings while she was a trainee financial adviser.

According to the Independent, 33 year-old Humphreys stole her parents' life savings and used their credit cards to defraud them out of the £130,000. The police investigation was launched in 2010 but her trial did not begin until this year. Her retired parents, Elizabeth, 70, and Terence Fordham, 80, had been travelling around Europe in a motor home for four years after selling their home and paying off their debts. Humphreys, who was 21 years old and a trainee financial adviser at the time, was left in charge of their finances. The couple had nearly £55,000 in their savings account, w...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Your profession

Tackling the biggest challenge facing financial services in the UK

Tackling the biggest challenge facing financial services in the UK

'Trust in financial services is slipping'

Professional Adviser
clock 04 March 2026 • 4 min read
'No news is good news': Spring Statement stability welcomed

'No news is good news': Spring Statement stability welcomed

‘This was a low-key event, especially for pensions’

Jenna Brown
clock 03 March 2026 • 4 min read
FCA opens targeted support authorisation gateway

FCA opens targeted support authorisation gateway

Firms can now apply for permission to provide targeted support

Isabel Baxter
clock 02 March 2026 • 2 min read