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Scottish Water and Bank of Scotland back our campaign to combat bogus callers
Scottish Water and Bank of Scotland have thrown their weight behind the Paisley Daily Express campaign to thwart bogus callers.
As part of our Protect Our Pensioners campaign, we spoke to two of the biggest businesses in the country, which both make valiant efforts to stop callous crooks using their company name as a front to carry out crime.
It is an all too familiar Express headline that a pensioner has been robbed of cash or valuables by someone posing as a utilities worker.
Another common tactic of conmen is to convince elderly people to withdraw large sums of cash from their banks and hand it over.
These impersonation scams often involve someone pretending to be from a bank asking people to transfer money into a ‘safe’ account.
They often say that the police suspect the person’s account is in danger or that there is a problem with their account.
Warnings issued by banks can often go unheeded as fraudsters coax victims into believing that branch staff are ‘involved’ in the transaction.
The Express reported in July how a conman posing as a water board worker stole cash from a vulnerable pensioner.
The crook managed to talk his way inside the home of the 86-year-old woman, claiming there had been problems with water in the area.
The bogus caller failed to produce ID, despite being asked several times.
The scammer ran the taps before making off with her cash.
Scottish Water has given advice on to how to check if callers are legitimate.
Ruaridh MacGregor, Scottish Water’s corporate affairs manager in the west, said: “Scottish Water works in local communities across Scotland every day of the year.
“Our own workers are highly visible when out and about and always carry photo ID.
“All our employees, and anyone working on our behalf, will happily show their ID to show they’re legitimate.
“Unfortunately, there are occasionally people who take advantage of the work we do by posing as bogus water employees.
“So, we’d like to remind all our customers of our essential advice — if we knock on your door, follow our three C’s rule: Card
– Check – Call.
“Don’t let anyone inside your home until you’ve checked their ID and you’re sure of their identity.
“You can call our customer helpline on
0800 0778778 before you open the door and we can confirm if the caller is genuine.
“If you live on your own or feel you need more support, then call a neighbour or a friend to come round.
“If you’re unconvinced by a caller, then please contact the police straight away.
“We are delighted to support the Paisley Daily Express and the important community issue they are tackling with their campaign.”