Warning after north-east telephone banking scam cons 85-year-old out of £200,000
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Officers in the north-east are asking the public to be vigilant following telephone banking fraud scams.
Recently, an 85-year-old man from Aberdeen was the victim of such a scam after fraudsters managed to con £200,000 from him.
He was contacted by a man claiming to be from his bank. The man advised that the victim’s bank account was being investigated due to fraudulent activity and asked him to transfer £20,000 to an account provided by the scammer.
The victim complied and provided vast sums on a near-daily basis. He was also encouraged to set up internet banking.
The victim was then contacted by a woman claiming to be from the Police, working as a part of the investigation.
The victim became suspicious and told a family member.
A 59-year-old business owner was defrauded of £210,000 after being informed by scammers that his various bank accounts had been compromised and was instructed to transfer his money to a ‘safe account’ via internet banking.
He transferred the entire balance of his business and personal accounts into criminal control.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “The people who carry out these crimes are despicable. They target members of our community and steal their life savings.
“The scammers gained the victims confidence to ensure they parted with large sums of money.
“Criminals pretend to be from a legitimate bank, then contact the victims by telephone to warn of suspicious activity on their accounts.
"They convince the victim to transfer money to ‘safe accounts’. This type of fraud is known as ‘Authorised Push Payment’.
“We would like to make the public aware of these calls to ensure that their elderly or vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours are also aware of these types of scams.
“Reputable banks and financial institutions will not ask you for your banking details or password by phone.
"If in doubt, do not share any personal information or financial details.
"Ask the person where they got your details from and the reason for the call.
"Ask them for contact details and make a note of what they are asking for.
"Be suspicious as to who is calling you, and make every effort to ensure that the person at the end of the line is legitimate and represents who they claim to be.
"Do not be afraid to take details; there is nothing wrong with declining their requests and ending the call.”
Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact officers through 101, quoting reference 1345 of 28 May, 2023 Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted through 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.
