Police have warned East Lothian residents of an HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) scam after two people were targeted in the community.
Both victims were elderly and vulnerable, targeted by fraudsters who called them claiming to be from HMRC.
The victims were threatened by the scammer, who said there was a warrant out for their arrest if they did not pay up on an alleged outstanding tax bill.
They were asked to purchase pre-paid cards, such as Amazon and Google play, as payment for the "debt".
Officers are urging East Lothian residents to pass the information onto relatives, friends and neighbours that may be at risk of falling for this scam.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We’re investigating two recent incidents of phone fraud in East Lothian where a caller, falsely claiming to be from HMRC, has stated that there is a warrant out for their arrest if they did not pay an outstanding tax bill."
An HMRC spokesperson said: "If someone calls you claiming to be from HMRC saying that you will be arrested, that we are filing a lawsuit against you, or even offering a tax refund out of the blue, and asks for information such as your name, credit card or bank details, then it’s a scam.
"Hang up and report the call to us at phishing@hmrc.gov.uk, as we can work to take them off the network."
You can report an incident to the police via 101, alternatively an anonymous report can be made to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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