Tim Esworthy, 66, from Colchester, was 'absolutely appalled' to find his private medical details had been sold . CASE 1: Pensioner who lost leg at work . Retired financial services manager Tim Esworthy was ‘absolutely appalled’ to find his private medical details had been sold. The 66-year-old lost his leg in a workplace accident 39 years ago and has a prosthetic limb. He said he had been targeted by cold callers selling products to ease joint pain, as well as receiving sales calls regarding solar panels, pensions and PPI claims up to eight times a day. He has also been hassled by scammers who tried to obtain his computer and bank details by claiming to be from companies like Microsoft. Mr Esworthy, who lives in Colchester with his wife Pauline, 63, said: ‘I’m absolutely appalled. ‘It is terrible – it shouldn’t happen. They know they can target vulnerable people because they have their medical information. ‘Whenever I have taken out any kind of insurance or bought any kind of warranty I have to declare my disability. Now I wonder if they got (my medical details) through that. ‘It is quite scary to think of where that information is ending up. It is like Big Brother – they are watching you.’ He said he received cold calls several times a day, some of which appeared to be targeted at him because of his mobility problem. ‘I’ve had people calling trying to sell me some syrup that was good for your joints,’ he said. ‘I said “I don’t want to know, don’t phone me again”, but she still phoned back several times. ‘We have had people call up more than once and say: “You’ve got a problem with your computer, just give us your details”. ‘Or “Do you have a standing charge on your bank account?” They said they would get my money back if I gave them all my bank details. ‘There must be plenty of people who fall for it. Especially if they are targeting people they know have medical problems.’ CASE 2: The gran targeted bystairlift salesmen . Grandmother Christine Lewis was on a list of people who have mobility problems obtained by the Mail and has been targeted by stairlift salesmen cold calling her. The 62-year-old is recovering from a brain haemorrhage she had 12 years ago and was formerly wheelchair-bound. She said it was ‘disgraceful’ her personal medical details had been sold and the companies responsible ‘ought to be prosecuted out the water’. Christine Lewis, who is recovering from a brain haemorrhage she had 12 years ago, was on a list of people who have mobility problems obtained by the Mail and has been targeted by stairlift salesmen cold calling her . She added: ‘If they’re selling that sort of information, the fact I’m disabled, surely that breaches my rights. ‘It’s disgraceful. It’s illegal so why are they getting away with it? ‘They shouldn’t have my information, especially if they know I’m disabled because they are targeting me because they think I’m vulnerable. ‘If people are selling lists with me name on that explains why I get so many (cold calls). ‘I’m a strong person but there are a lot of people who are frightened of all this. My neighbour is more vulnerable and she believes all these calls.’ Mrs Lewis receives an average of two cold calls a day but sometimes as many as eight. She also receives calls and texts to her mobile phone. ‘I’m sick of them,’ she said. ‘Sometimes they get nasty with me. It’s non-stop - I end up losing my temper. ‘I’m quite laid-back but this really winds me up. I have felt like unplugging my phone but then they win and I do need to use it. ‘I’m not as disabled as I was but it can be difficult getting to the phone. It is always at an inconvenient time. They call as early as 8am and I’ve had calls as late as 9.30pm. It really infuriates me. ‘I get so many calls from abroad, you think: “How do you know my details?” ‘I find it so intrusive. It is coming into your home and interrupting your day.’ CASE 3: The couple plagued by 20 calls a day . Former builder Mic Foley and his wife Sylvia were harassed by 20 or more calls a day from salesmen and scammers which caused so much stress Mrs Foley had to visit a doctor. Former builder Mr Foley, 56, has difficulty walking due to ill health and was on a list of people with mobility problems obtained by the Mail. The couple, from rural Suffolk, have even received calls from medicine sales representatives who said they ‘were aware’ that someone in the house had a medical problem. They believe Mr Foley’s details could have been passed on by companies they bought disability aids from online. Grandmother Mrs Foley, 62, said: ‘It’s frightening. It is scary how much they know about you. ‘We were having about 20 calls a day. We have been getting calls and emails, they were mainly from scammers, asking for money. It is mainly people with foreign accents saying their name is David or John. ‘It really was horrendous. because we are in all day you don’t get away from it. They got me into such a state. ‘I was getting frightened. I was losing my temper over it and I was so stressed I went to the doctors. ‘But if you have got a disability and you live in a place like this you do buy things off the internet, so you are having to put your information out there all the time.’ The couple nearly lost thousands when they fell for scammers claiming to be from Microsoft who they allowed to take over their computer, but luckily they realised at the last minute and their bank suspended all their accounts. Mr Foley said he thought it was ‘crazy’ his details were being sold but he felt there was ‘nothing’ he could do. The couple have paid a company to block the cold calls but still receive ‘at least’ three a day.
Tim Esworthy, 66, has prosthetic limb after losing leg in workplace incident . Said he had been targeted by cold callers selling products easing joint pain . Christine Lewis, 62, is wheelchair-bound following a brain haemorrhage . She is also on list of people obtained by the Mail and has been targeted by stairlift salesmen .