Detectives are urging Cheshire residents to be vigilant after an elderly couple were scammed out of a large quantity of money.
The couple from Wilmslow received a phone call from someone impersonating NatWest bank and were tricked into giving their bank cards to a courier who swapped them for false bank cards.
At some time between Sunday, 31st March, and Monday, 1st April, a substantial amount of money was taken out of their accounts before the pensioners realised they had been the victims of a scam.
A similar incident took place on Friday, 29th March, when an elderly lady from Alderley Edge was called at her home by a man claiming to be from M&S bank.
The man told her the bank were issuing new cards and he needed to know her card details. A short time later the man appeared at her home asking for her old bank cards.
The lady refused to hand them over and the man left without taking any money.
Both banks have been informed and enquiries into the incidents are ongoing.
Detective Sergeant Simon Mills, of Macclesfield Local Policing Unit, said: "Sadly scams like this are not rare and people throughout the county can be targeted.
"Over-the-phone fraudsters can be very convincing and use a range of tactics to try to convince victims to part with their money.
"I urge everyone in Cheshire, especially the elderly community, to be vigilant. I want to make it clear that no-one should withdraw or transfer any money from their account if they are asked to do so over the phone, no matter who the person on the other end of the line claims to be."
DS Mills added: "If you have elderly relatives or neighbours please ensure that they are aware of such scams and that you do everything you can to safeguard them and their savings."
Anyone with any information about the fraud in Chester should call Cheshire Constabulary on 101, quoting IML 363403, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Comments
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If you simply answer the phone with a "Hello", nuisance and scam phone-callers invariably open the conversation by asking am "I speaking to Mr or Mrs ........ " While there are indeed times when such a question comes from a legitimate source, more often than not it's coming from somebody who you don't want to talk to. Then is the very moment to recognise that you don't have to acknowledge them or engage in conversation of any kind with them, and that you are not being rude if you simply put the phone down on the spot. Just do it, and don't worry that you may have missed something important. If you've made a mistake, the caller will usually phone back another time, but always take care.
Notwithstanding the ability of sophisticated and automated dialling systems to generate the plausible phone numbers which appear in your phone's window, the old adage still holds good. If you don't recognise it or it smells fishy, don't answer it, or replace the receiver immediately if the Caller claims to be from a Bank or an Institution. They will write if it's important.
Tell any irregular caller that you do want to hear from to introduce themselves immediately and not ask you who you are.