Warning issued after elderly resident scammed out of £11k

North Wales Police are warning people to be alert to telephone scams after an elderly resident was conned into handing over more than £11,000.00 to criminals.

The victim was contacted by telephone regularly over a period of weeks by scammers asking for cheques to be written and posted with the promise of £47,000.00 in return.

As the scam progressed the victim was told to stop sending cheques and withdraw cash from the bank which would be collected from his home the following day by the fraudster.

The scam came to light when staff at his local Natwest branch became suspicious and questioned the high number of withdrawals from his account.

Financial abuse safeguarding officer DC 2675 Rachel Roberts said: “The people committing these types of fraud are persistent, calling the victims a number of times a day and using different phone numbers.

“They are very persuasive and will often hold some of the victim’s personal information which will make them appear genuine.

“These fraudsters will target the most vulnerable people in our communities in order to scam them out of large sums of money and I would ask that people remain vigilant.

“I would like to thank the bank staff for highlighting their concerns to the police which has prevented any further loss of money.”

Police have issued the following advice on how to spot a scammer:

– If you receive a telephone call from someone asking to send them money or asking to collect funds from your home address end the call immediately.
– Do not give personal details, including banking details to anyone you do not know following unexpected requests for money made either in the street, on the doorstep, over the telephone or internet as these details can be used to steal your identity.
– Beware of cold calls even when the caller appears to have personal information such as your address, date of birth or bank account details.
– If an offer seems too good to be true it usually is. Take time to think about what is being offered.

For further information and advice on various types of fraud visit the North Wales Police public web page and click on the fraud information box. There is also a link to Action Fraud (www.actionfraud.police.uk) or call on 0300 123 2040