An investigation is under way after a pensioner almost handed over £12,000 to a fraudster claiming to be her nephew.
The bogus caller contacted the 66-year-old woman by telephone last Thursday pretending to be her nephew.
The scammer told her he had recently lost his job due to the coronavirus pandemic and asked if she could transfer him £5,000 to see him through unemployment.
She requested her bank make the transfer before the man called her again to request another £7,000.
But this time the request raised the suspicion of bank workers at the Halifax in the Metrocentre who rejected the transfer and put the earlier transfer of £5,000 on hold.
They contacted police who spoke to the woman’s family and discovered that the victim did not have a nephew, and had been confused by the caller.
Chief Inspector Gary Richardson said: “This was a fantastic intervention by bank workers that has ultimately prevented a victim of fraud losing thousands of pounds.
“They followed the banking protocol and immediately contacted us when they became suspicious of the requests for large sums of money.
“It is the latest in a long line of successes with the protocol and shows that we have the right systems in place to protect customers falling victims to fraud.
“But we still need family members and friends to look out for those individuals who may be targeted by fraudsters.
“If you are suspicious of a change in behaviour then please ask questions and, if you are concerned, don’t hesitate to contact police or Action Fraud.”
