Scam warning as Lancashire pensioner conned out of £4K
A pensioner had £4,000 taken from his account as part of a ‘callous scam’ - and police are warning others to be aware of the fraud.
The man, who was in his seventies, was told his bank account had been compromised and that he should put his card in an envelope and hand it over to a ‘representative of the bank’.
Police said the crime victim thought the person who contacted him sounded plausible.
Warning of the scam, police said: “ We wanted to tell you about a really callous scam committed against a pensioner in Darwen so you can hopefully warn your family members, friends and neighbours about it.
Appalling crime
"On February 3 a man in his 70s was contacted by someone pretending to be from their bank and has told the victim that the money in his account has been compromised. The suspect has then told the victim to place his bank cards into an envelope and hand them over to someone from 'the bank', who will come to collect them from his home address.
“The victim handed the cards over and later checked his account to see that £4,000 had been spent.
“We’re sure you’ll agree that this was an appalling crime committed against a vulnerable victim who thought he was helping with a fraud investigation and protecting his money.
“However, he was actually dealing with ruthless and heartless criminals who were engaging in a sophisticated scam.”
Advice
Please are urging people to follow this crime prevention advice and share it with anyone who needs to be aware of it.
• Your bank or the police will never call you asking for personal details such as Pin no’s or offer to pick up cards or items from your address
• Consider registering with a Telephone Preference Service to stop unsolicited calls / marketing calls making their way through
• If you are in the slightest doubt during a phone call, hang up – either use a different phone or wait 20 minutes before calling either your bank, Action Fraud or the police. This is because Fraudsters often leave the line open waiting for you to use the phone so the safest method is using a different device
• Install a call blocker -these can be done through phone companies /through phone applications• If you feel worried or concerned about a call – alert someone you trust and tell them. •
Police say anyone who is concerned about this type of contact to report this into Action Fraud online – or via 0300 123 2040 or contact the police on 101.