A bogus caller claiming to be a police officer tried to con money from a Clydebank household for supposed lockdown rule breaking.
Police Scotland has shared information on the worrying incident to warn others not to fall for similar scams.
The caller, described as having a Glaswegian accent, phoned from a withheld number pretending to be a police officer and tried to con the householder out of a three-figure sum.
He claimed to be dealing with a reported breach of Covid-19 regulations, and repeatedly said that payment for a fine was due. Thankfully, the person who answered was suspicious and ended the call, saying they would call Police Scotland.
A force spokesperson said: “Exploiting the coronavirus public health emergency to try and dupe people into handing over money is despicable. Thankfully on this occasion, the member of the public was suspicious and ended the call.
“We are encouraging everyone to be vigilant to scams and to share our advice with family and friends. Before parting with money or information take a few moments to stop and think - only criminals will try to rush or panic you.”
If you receive a call that you’re suspicious of then the advice is never to give out personal information, including that you live alone or are older or vulnerable. Don’t give credit card, bank card or PIN number details to anyone who calls unexpectedly.
If you are worried, end the call, check for a dialling tone and call the company back using the number on their website or on a recent bill, to check the phone call you received was legitimate.
Incidents can be reported to Police Scotland on 101 and officers ask people not to be embarrassed about coming forward.
More info on avoiding scammers is available here.
