Transference is a form of ignoring reality by placing one’s wishes on to another person – and people who have learning disabilities can be particularly susceptible to this type of encounter

Mr A, a man who has a mild learning disability, had been duped into giving away a large sum of his savings to a person he had never met. He had been told he had won millions in a foreign lottery, but some fees had to be paid before they could release the funds. He paid these fees believing he would receive his winnings a few days later and was told the delays were due to bureaucracy.