BEWARE: A New Phone Scam Is Targeting People In Gwent.
On the 14th May to the 21st of May 2016 a vulnerable elderly lady in Bargoed started to receive scam calls.
The caller tricked her into buying “Paysafecard” vouchers to the value of £175, then £100, from her local shop (these are similar to Western Union payments).
The scammer told her that these would be used to fund the processing of a PPI refund that was due to her.
They told her to keep the vouchers safe, as they would only collect them by courier once the refund had been put into her bank account.
All they asked for were the PIN numbers printed on the vouchers to confirm their purchase.
The victim thought that the funds remained safe, however once the scammers had the PIN, then they had full access to the money.
The scam only ended when the victim ran out of money; the scammers asked for more, but when she told them she couldn’t afford it and after some very high-pressure attempts, they hung up.
The victim can’t afford the loss, and obviously feels very foolish for being taken in by these criminals.
We hope her story can help others avoid the same pitfall and raise awareness of this scam.
If you have any information regarding this please call Gwent Police on 101 quoting log number 293 26/05/2016.
We are also keen to remind residents that they should not give out personal or financial information to anyone that they do not completely trust, and that anyone in any doubt at all should seek professional advice before parting with any money.
Issues of this nature can be reported to Gwent Police by calling 101 or by contacting your local council’s trading standards department.
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