Police are reporting a spike in the number of scam phone calls and are urging people to be vigilant and look out for vulnerable neighbours and family members.
Giving an update at Annan Community Council on Monday evening, PC Calum Duignan said: “On January 24 we received a report that a man had been contacted by phone and told he was due a refund from his bank. He has been defrauded of just short of £4000 and our enquiries are ongoing.”
PC Duignan told the meeting that there has been a rise in reports of people receiving calls claiming to be from their bank fraud team, telling them that their bank account has been compromised. He continued: “They are quite persuasive and a few people have fallen victim to it.”
Several community councillors said they were aware of people who had received similar phone calls where the caller claimed either to be from a bank or from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
PC Duignan added: “Our advice to anyone who might receive one of these calls is never to give any details over the phone and either just hang up, contact us or make contact with your bank independently using contact details you have been given through official channels, such as on statements or other documents.”
