Sunderland pensioner almost conned out of £10,000 before bank staff stepped in

On Tuesday concerned staff from Lloyds Bank in Sunderland raised the alarm after an 87-year-old man visited the branch in an attempt to transfer a lump sum.

When quizzed by a cashier who was concerned for his welfare, the man claimed he needed to transfer the money to a family member.

It soon transpired, however, that he had been cold-called by a con-artist purporting to be from the fraud team at the bank. The fraudster had advised the man to transfer his savings to a ‘safe’ account, following dubious activity the cold-callers told him had been reported around his own.

Officers attended the scene and spoke to the man, who they say had been completely unaware of the scam.

Today, they have praised the quick-thinking staff at the city centre bank whose swift actions helped prevent a large-scale fraud.

“Sadly frauds of this nature are becoming increasingly common as criminals desperately try to make money by preying on the elderly and the vulnerable”, said Chief Inspector Paul Walters.

“What’s despicable about crimes like this is that they manipulate people’s fears and coerce them into giving their savings to the very people they are trying to protect them from.

“In this case bank staff were vigilant and able to help an elderly man - their quick intervention saved him from losing £10,000. Staff trusted their instincts, picked up on the signs that something wasn’t quite right and relayed these concerns to us so we were able to respond in real time.”

An investigation into this incident has since been launched.

Authorities have warned of a notable rise in the number of cold-calling scammers targeting vulnerable residents during the pandemic months.

Ch Insp Walters added: “Fast action from our officers also resulted in the victim being safeguarded and given bespoke advice to protect him from this happening again.

"We will continue to work closely with the banks and building societies to protect people from falling victim to such awful scams.”

Police ask that, if you are contacted in this way and asked to transfer money into another account in order to keep it safe, or to prevent a fraud from taking place, readers hang up immediately. In these instances, authorities advise readers to contact their local bank in person, or via a trusted telephone number.

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, police also ask readers to get in touch using the Tell us Something page on their website. Alternatively, readers can report these kinds of concerns via ActionFraud’s website.Read more: Police community support officer foils bungling Sunderland vodka thief on his day off

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