Axminster pensioner conned
Police warn East Devon residents to not be taken in by a telephone scam.
AN AXMINSTER pensioner has fallen victim to a telephone scam and East Devon residents are being urged to be on their guard.
The woman was conned out of �650 after she was contacted by a man claiming to be from the Ministry of Justice who had an Asian or Indian accent.
She was told her bank had overcharged her and that she was due a refund of �4500, but would need to pay �650 upfront, to secure the payment, which would also be refunded.
The pensioner and her husband, who were in ill health, initially refused, but were worn down after persistent phone calls from the conman.
The male told her that she should pay the upfront fee by going to Co-op and paying the money for a UKASH voucher via the PayPoint machine.
This generates a voucher with a unique code which the victim then passed to the suspect, enabling him to withdraw the cash anywhere in the world with a PayPoint machine.
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No payment was forthcoming and she has lost the �650 fee.
Police are warning anyone who is contacted in this way to not part with any money and if in doubt contact their bank.
