An Aberdeen pensioner has lost £200,000 in a banking scam.
Fraudsters contacted the 85-year-old and advised him that his bank account was being investigated due to fraudulent activity.
A man asked him to transfer £20,000 to an account provided by the scammer.
The pensioner complied and provided vast sums on a near-daily basis. He was also encouraged to set up internet banking.
The victim was then contacted by a woman claiming to work for the police, working as part of the investigation. He then became suspicious and told a family member.
A 59-year-old business owner was also conned out of £210,000 after being told by scammers his bank accounts had been compromised.
He was instructed to transfer his money to a “safe account” using internet banking.
The victim transferred the entire balance of his business and personal accounts into criminal control.
Police warn Aberdeen residents about banking scam
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce slammed the criminals as “despicable” and explained the type of crime is called an Authorised Push Payment.
He said: “The people who carry out these crimes are despicable. They target members of our community and steal their life savings.
“The scammers gained the victims’ confidence to ensure they parted with large sums of money.
“Criminals pretend to be from a legitimate bank, then contact the victims by telephone to warn of suspicious activity on their accounts. They convince the victim to transfer money to ‘safe accounts’. This type of fraud is known as ‘Authorised Push Payment’.”
Officers are now urging the public to be aware of calls and advised that reputable banks will not ask for banking details over the phone.
Ch Insp Bruce warned people to “be suspicious” about who is calling.
He said: “We would like to make the public aware of these calls to ensure that their elderly or vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours are also aware of these types of scams.
“Reputable banks and financial institutions will not ask you for your banking details or password by phone. If in doubt, do not share any personal information or financial details. Ask the person where they got your details from and the reason for the call. Ask them for contact details and make a note of what they are asking for.
“Be suspicious as to who is calling you, and make every effort to ensure that the person at the end of the line is legitimate and represents who they claim to be. Do not be afraid to take details; there is nothing wrong with declining their requests and ending the call.”
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