People warned to be vigilant over bank scam

A Fife pensioner is warning others to be on the lookout for a potential scam mailshot.

Alison Simpson, who lives in Bonnybank, received a letter claiming to be from a representative of a Malaysian bank, stating she was entitled to money from a relative who had died in the country.

After contacting the police, the 84-year-old said she wanted as many people as possible to be on the lookout to avoid being duped.

“The letter says that someone has died in Malaysia and that they have the same surname as myself and that I was entitled to their money. I thought it was rubbish,” she said.

“I then read it in its entirety and that’s when I thought I should do something about it.

“It might not be an elderly person – somebody younger could also fall for it. You read about people being conned all of the time. I wouldn’t fall for it in a hundred years.”

Inheritance scams are regularly used by fraudsters in an attempt to extract bank account details from unsuspecting members of the public.

Many will also encourage those who respond to pay everincreasing amounts of money which they claim are required for taxes and commissioning fees.

While many fraudsters use email in their attempts, letters are also becoming increasingly used in a bid to find victims.

The latest scam is just one of dozens said to be circulating at any one time, either offering people the chance to invest in a money-making scheme or informing victims that they have had some sort of unexpected win in a prize draw or lottery.

A spokesperson for Fife Council’s trading standards called on people to remain vigilant and asked anyone receiving scam letters or phone calls to report them.

“We would urge carers, relatives and other people in contact with elderly, socially isolated or vulnerable to be on their guard and report this to Citizens Advice,” the spokesperson concluded.