Elderly Ballymena woman scammed over phone

The man contacted the pensioner by phone saying she was entitled to a refund of bank charges worth several thousand pounds.

He told her that she would have to pay an administration fee via a Paypoint machine in order for the refund to be released.

The woman paid the money but the cheque she was promised never arrived.

Police say similar scams have been reported to police in England and other parts of Northern Ireland and they have asked members of the public not to give out any personal details to anyone unknown to them and to report any suspicious callers to the PSNI.

A police spokesman advised: “If you are unsure of a caller or feel that something is not right then ask for details to ascertain their identity. Ask where they are phoning from, where they have got your details from and where they have obtained your telephone number. Also, ask them if there is a number you can phone them back on or if there is another representative from their company that you can contact.

“If you are still unsure about them then contact the company or business they claim to be from to check if the call is genuine. Legitimate companies won’t have a problem with you calling them back. Remember if an unknown caller contacts you to offer you money for nothing and it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!”

Police have also asked that members of the community keep an eye out for elderly family members and neighbours who might be potential victims of this type of scam.

Anyone who believes they may have been victim of this scam or has any concerns should contact their local Police on 0845 600 8000.