Warning after scammers steal £396 from Styvechale pensioner

[dutchman]

A pensioner is warning others to be on their guard after scammers stole nearly £400 from her.

The 73-year-old from Styvechale was contacted by someone claiming to be from the department of work and pensions to discuss a backdated claim for carer’s allowance.

Convinced by the amount of information the scammer had the pensioner handed over her husband’s bank details.

Half an hour later £396 had been spent at Argos using her husband’s account.

The 73-year-old has only recently started receiving carer’s allowance.

“My husband has undergone a quadruple heart bypass recently and he’s had to go to the bank to try and sort this out,” the pensioner said.

“She sounded so convincing. She said she was from the pensions department and knew my name, telephone number and the fact I was getting carer’s allowance.

“Now I just want to warn anyone else that people are using this trick.

“I don’t want anyone else to lose out like we have.”

The 73-year-old has reported the incident to the police.

To speak to police call 101.

[rebbonk]

You really have to be so careful about personal security.

I regularly overhear (on the bus, in the pub) people telling others about what they're doing/claiming; where they're going on holiday, when they're going... etc. This kind of information is pure nectar to those who would do us harm.