Bogus workmen in Glenrothes scammed two elderly people out of thousands of pounds

Two elderly people were scammed out of thousands of pounds, after being tricked by a group of bogus workmen operating in the Whinnyknowe area of Glenrothes.

On Monday, January 17, four men scammed the 65-year-old occupier of a property in Greenwell Park out of a significant amount of money.

They told him he needed a small gutter repair, and made this repair for free, but then falsely claimed there was a large hole in the roof which needed fixing immediately. The occupier handed over a four figure sum of money to the men, for work that did not need doing.

In a separate incident, the same group also tricked the 74-year-old occupier of a different property in Greenwell Park, on Saturday, January 22. They advised her that work needed to be done on her property, and carried out this work.

The occupier paid the men for the unnecessary work, and was also charged a significant sum for minor maintenance, such as path cleaning.

One of the four men involved has been described as being white, aged mid-30s, about 5ft 6ins, with short curly brown hair. He was seen wearing dark ‘tradesman’ style clothing, and spoke with a slight Irish accent.

The group of bogus workmen appeared to be travelling in a large dark-coloured estate type car.

People in Glenrothes are being warned to wary of bogus workmen operating in the town.

Police in the area are now appealing to the public for information, as they continue to investigate into these incidents.

They have asked anyone with dash-cam or private CCTV footage from the area to come forward.

Police have also warned people in the local area to remain vigilant and be on their guard when being approached by workmen.

Sergeant Peter Wordie from Glenrothes Police Station said: “This is an appalling crime that targeted some of the most vulnerable people in our community. We are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen these men and can help with our investigation.“If you were driving in the area recently and have dash-cam footage that might help please get in touch. We would also like to hear from people with private CCTV or door bell-footage that might assist our investigation.“These criminals are often extremely plausible and we are asking people in the community to be on their guard and be aware of bogus workmen in the area.

“I would advise the local community to be vigilant when approached by anyone offering this kind of work. Always ask for credentials and never hand over money upfront. If you are not sure about the price they are charging consider getting a second opinion.“We are carrying out extra patrols in this area. If you think anyone is being targeted by bogus workmen or have any concerns please contact us or speak to an officer direct.”Police Scotland has asked anyone with any information about these incidents to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2141, of Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Alternatively, you can make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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