Two north-east pensioners have been left more than £20,000 out of pocket after falling victim to fraud.
An elderly man from Aberdeen, who has not been named, lost £20,000 of his hard-earned savings after becoming victim to an online scam.
Criminal masterminds contacted the gentleman by phone last month, persuading him to purchase online gift cards.
Convinced by their proposal, he went on to make several purchases, leading him to lose the five-figure sum.
The gentleman was not alone in falling victim to online scams.
In a separate incident, an 81-year-old male from Aberdeenshire was phoned by criminals pretending to be from the fraud department at his bank.
The scammer told him to withdraw £2,750 in cash from his bank with instructions to inform bank staff it was for a ‘kitchen renovation.’
He was then told to post the parcel and to tell staff it was a cash gift for a family friend.
Police call for greater awareness of fraud among vulnerable people
The incidents have prompted a campaign by concerned police officers in the north-east, encouraging individuals to stay sceptical, stop and think.
It forms part of a campaign to crack down on fraudulent scams aimed at targeting vulnerable members of society.
Family and friends are being encouraged to discuss the risk of fraud with elderly individuals to help identify areas of concern.
Adult protection officer Alison Lynch said: “It is vitally important to look for any signs that someone is being scammed. This can be a change in spending habits or appearance or that they seem anxious or fearful when the phone rings.”
Police have warned scammers are masterminds at their craft, spending extensive periods researching victims or using a generic hook to peak the victim’s interest, including the name of the bank.
The bank, Police, HMRC or anyone claiming to be from a ‘specialist fraud department’ will never call out of the blue or advise of fraudulent activities in the bank and ask for assistance. All phone calls like this are a scam.
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