ELDERLY residents in Shipston have been emotionally scared after being duped by phone scams, say police.
Scammers claiming to be from internet provider companies have pressured vulnerable residents into handing over thousands of pounds.
They spin a series of lies, take control of the homeowner’s computer to access passwords and demand victims withdraw large sums of cash.
A recent case involved a resident who was told they had a faulty router and needed to pay upfront for it to be fixed.
The caller claimed they had accidentally put money into the resident’s bank account and needed refunding by more than £16,000.
The scammer even called the next day to ask for a further £5,000.
A second Shipston resident was pressured to withdraw more than £10,000, also to refund an excess payment into their account
The victims, both in their 70s, were told not to call the police and to tell bank staff the money was for a relative.
PCSO Emma Turner said: “The personal emotive after affect this is having on these residents is immense, people are often feeling an element of guilt that they have been taken in by the scam.
“As part of my engagement process with victims of crime, it’s very upsetting to see the effect this has upon often vulnerable people who are perhaps lonely and believe what these unlawful people are telling them.”
Residents are advised not to give out personal or account details and not to transfer money to unknown accounts.
Call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 to report suspected scams.