A PENSIONER has been conned out of thousands of pounds in an elaborate bogus caller scam.
The 64-year-old man received a telephone call at his home in Edinburgh at around 8.30pm yesterday (Monday) from someone claiming to be from his bank.
The caller claimed there had been financial irregularities within the man’s account and asked for his bank details to investigate the matter.
After a short time, the caller phoned back and told the man his bank account had been targeted by fraudsters and that police would be investigating the matter.
Later that night, a male called the man’s telephone claiming to be from Lothian and Borders Police.
He was then asked to visit a number of different banks and withdraw money. However, after becoming suspicious, he contacted police, who confirmed they had not contacted him.
The victim then checked with his bank who confirmed money had been taken from his account.
A police spokesman said: “This scam may sound very plausible. However, the public are urged not to give out personal information if contacted by these individuals and to alert police if you receive a similar call.
“Lothian and Borders Police officers always carry identification or can provide their I.D number for verification if contacting the public via telephone.
“Anyone who is unsure about a caller’s identity should contact the organisation they claim to represent and if still not satisfied, they can contact police.”
Anyone with any information can contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.
