‘Bank of Scotland’ fraudster cons OAP out of £15k

The fraudster claimed to be from the Bank of Scotland. Picture: Robert Perry

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AN elderly man has been conned out of more than £15,000 by a fraudster claiming to be from the Bank of Scotland.

The 78-year-old transferred the cash out of his account after receiving a call warning him that it may be hacked from Spain.

The pensioner from Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, was targeted on Monday evening. It follows a case in Newton Stewart at the weekend where a woman lost more than £12,000 in a similar scam.

Police Scotland said they want to hear from anyone who has received a suspicious call relating to their bank account.

A statement said: “The victim in this case has become aware during the process that this may actually be a scam, but not before transferring over £15,000 to the specified account.

“The caller said he was from Bank of Scotland security and that the victim’s accounts were under threat from someone trying to hack into them from Spain. The victim also had accounts with the TSB and again transferred money out of these accounts.

“Police Scotland want to hear from anyone who may have been contacted by such a caller, whether they actually became a victim or not.

“Again, the public are warned over the dangers of engaging with anyone who cold-calls over the telephone in this manner.”