A FRAUDSTER warning has been flashed across Teignbridge after a spate of telephone scams were worked in a neighbouring authority area in the last week.

Yet again, police are anxious to spread warnings about cash-snatching bank card swindlers whose trickery last year cost Teignbridge residents nearly £10,000.

This time the con team have struck in the South Hams where a woman in her 80s lost £6,000 of her savings to a man claiming to be from the Metropolitan Police’s Serious Fraud Department who rang to claim her money was at risk in the bank.

He span a yarn to say there had been fraudulent activity in her account, a credit or debit card had been stolen and the offenders had been apprehended. 

The conman asked the woman to go to her bank, check on recent activity and then withdraw money from her account. She was told to take the money home and then call the man back.

The duped pensioner was persuaded by the offender to hand over £6,000 as ‘evidence’ to a female colleague who visited her in Totnes later in the day on November 5.

The same trick was tried on a 54-year-old man in the same town who was asked to withdraw £4,000 – but he did not fall for the scam.

A 76-year-old woman from Plympton also resisted the financial attack on her.

A police spokesman said: ‘We are urging the public to be wary of these types of calls and would encourage residents to talk to neighbours, relatives and friends about these crimes to make them aware.’

He added: ‘Victims of these scams are often elderly and can be left confused and without thousands of pounds. Although only one or two incidents occur each month across Devon and Cornwall, the impact can be devastating for the victim.

‘ We will not make contact in this way and will never ask for bank account details to be disclosed or money to be withdrawn. If in any doubt about the validity of such calls, people should call police on 101.’

To report an incident people should call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or visit www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud.