A Linwood pensioner lost more than £50,000 after being duped into handing over bank details to a cruel phone scammer.
The 80-year-old woman was conned by a callous cold caller posing as a BT worker.
Cops probing the fraud said the caller claimed her internet had been hacked and that she needed to provide her banking information to get the problem fixed.
But the con artist, who spoke with foreign accent during the call, which happened at around 4pm on Sunday, quickly emptied her account of around £53,000.
The brazen crook even tried to take out a £20,000 loan in the OAPs name but was thwarted by her bank before it could go through.
It is understood the incident only came to light when the shaken victim alerted a family member, who quickly drafted in the police to investigate.
Officers probing the crime have warned others in the region to be aware of similar scams.
Inspector Allan O’Hare, from Renfrewshire’s community policing team, said: “To prey on an elderly pensioner in this way is simply despicable.
“The victim has lost a significant amount of money from her bank account and is obviously very distressed.
“Criminals carrying out these types of duplicitous frauds can be very convincing and can create a sense of panic in the victim.”
He added: “It is so important to take your time when you receive a call like this, don’t pass on any personal bank details over the phone.
“No legitimate company will ever ask you to provide these details over the phone.
“Our advice is always to hang up the phone right away and do not engage with the caller.
“Contact the company they are claiming to be from independently.”
Express readers with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously 0800 555 111.
