Callous fraudster scams Burnley pensioner out of thousands

Police have issued a warning following the incident

The incident happened on Friday when the elderly woman was called by a man claiming to be an officer.

He alleged the woman’s bank card had been used to buy a laptop and police needed cash to recover evidence.

The woman, aged in her 70s, withdrew more than £11,000 and handed it to the man, who collected the money from her home.

The woman later told her family who reported the incident to police.

David Wilding, Fraud Safeguarding Officer at Lancashire Police, said: “We are urging people to be extra vigilant and suspicious of cold calls, particularly from police officers claiming to need money for investigations.

“The victim has been targeted because of her vulnerability. She was taken in by this fraudster’s lies and has sadly been duped into losing thousands of pounds.

“Always question the caller’s intentions and never give out any personal information. If you are ever unsure, put the phone down straight away and ring the company or agency the caller is purporting to be from on a genuine number. All respected companies and agencies will have contact details on their website and they’ll be able to tell you if the call is legitimate or not.

"No large government or public body will ever phone an individual up and ask them for money.

"If you have further concerns about cold callers, you can have call blockers installed and use blocking facilities on smart phones.”

If you think you have been a victim of fraud please contact police on 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or go to http://socsi.in/iqNsx.