Quick-thinking bank staff stop OAP losing £10k to phone conman
Fraudster convinced pensioner, 84, to transfer money
Cruel crooks tried to dupe an 84- year- old Renfrew woman out of £10,000 by claiming her account had been compromised.
Police said a conman with an “African” accent called the vulnerable OAP claiming she needed to move her money fast or face losing it.
She twice tried to transfer the cash to an unknown account at her local TSB branch staff stepped in each time to prevent her losing her life saving.
After calling the suspect back, he ordered her to visit the Paisley branch on Saturday and to tell them the money was being moved to her son.
Thankfully, quick-thinking staff again queried the transaction and asked for confirmation of her son’s details before putting a stop to the transfer and alerting police.
An investigation is now underway into the attempted fraud and officers have issued a warning to potential victims.
Inspector Allan O’Hare, from Renfrew, Johnstone, and the villages community policing team, said: “On this occasion bank staff prevented the 84-year-old female victim from losing a significant amount of money to criminals.
“However, this incident highlights the lengths criminals will go to steal money from the most vulnerable people in our community.
“I would like to urge anyone who receives a call from someone claiming their account has been compromised and that they need to transfer money elsewhere to hang up immediately and contact their local branch.
“You should never be asked to transfer money in this way and no bank will ever ask you for your account details over the phone.”
He added: “If you have elderly or vulnerable family members, please alert them to this scam and urge them to contact the police if they are at all concerned about any phone calls they receive from unknown parties.”
Anyone looking for advice on how to prevent falling victim to fraud should call Police Scotland on 101.
This incident highlights the lengths criminals will go to to steal money from the most vulnerable