Elderly residents warned of bank charge phone con

Elderly people in the Capital were today warned to be on their guard against the latest bogus caller scam sweeping the city.

Reports have emerged of cold callers contacting elderly people by phone and telling them they are in for a cash windfall because of bank over-charges.

They then ask for a fee of around 100 to be paid in Ukash vouchers - a legitimate payment method used online as an alternative to debit or credit cards - to allow them to take the repayment forward. But the promised cheque for thousands of pounds never arrives.

The caller even tells residents which local shops sell Ukash vouchers then ask them to give the voucher number over the phone, which means the money can immediately be deposited in the fraudster's bank.

Police have confirmed that they are investigating a case, thought to be in the Broomhouse area, where a victim was defrauded of a "three-figure sum" by a scam company.

Council trading standards are also aware of a series of cases to have emerged since Thursday, with one involving a 70-year-old woman in Gorgie who was told she would receive 3500 if she paid 80 over the phone.

Councillor Robert Aldridge, the city's environment leader, said: "This is a particularly malicious form of crime. If there is any doubt as to the validity of the caller, the public are advised to contact the police or trading standards officers."

Officials have stressed that there is no element of wrongdoing either by the shops selling the vouchers or Ukash themselves - only by the fraudsters who are using the method of payment to procure the cash.

The 70-year-old woman in Gorgie realised that she was being defrauded and called trading standards officers. But others are thought to have been unwitting victims.