I’ve got kids and Christmas is coming. They don’t care

Rhys Tapley, 31, was left with barely enough money to live on after he was conned out of £3,100 last month.

The dad of two was duped when fraudsters used special software to make it look like the number they were calling him from was the Royal Bank of Scotland’s general inquiries line and told him his account was compromised. Rhys, from Arbroath, said the scammer also had detailed knowledge about recent bank transactions. However, he was left with just £140 to live on after he transferred £3,100 to the scammer.

Rhys, an oil rig floor hand, was left struggling for Christmas money to spend on his daughter and son, aged nine and four.

He said: “I have to leave my family for three weeks at a time to earn money. The money could have been taken before I’d paid my mortgage. These scammers don’t care.”