Pensioner, 84, was victim of phone scam

A PENSIONER was conned into buying £ 1,400 worth of iTunes vouchers following a telephone scam.

Police are warning others after the 84- yearold man, from Hazel Grove, was taken in by a caller pretending to be a tax inspector.

The man received a phone call on Sunday, July 4, from somebody claiming to be working from HMRC.

He was told that he owed the government £ 5,000 and if he did not pay up would be taken to court.

The man was then told to purchase £ 5,000 worth of iTunes vouchers from a shop, which would be collected from his house in the evening.

But he began to feel anxious after purchasing £ 1,400 of iTunes vouchers and decided to speak to a police officer.

Greater Manchester Police launched an investigation and confirmed the man did not owe any money to HMRC.

It was also discovered the calls were being made from outside the UK.

Det Sgt Jeff Taylor, of GMP’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “Fortunately the man did not hand over the vouchers but he has been taken advantage of and been ruthlessly targeted by scammers, putting him through a very distressing ordeal.

“If you fall victim to a scam or receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

“I’m urging people to visit the Action Fraud website actionfraud. police.. uk or the CIFAS ( Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance Service) website cifas. org. uk for information and advice about fraud.”