Phone scammers have stung two Angus OAPs to the tune of £40,000.
The Montrose victims were caught up in what is known as a “vishing” fraud this week and have been left devasted by the huge loss.
Police Scotland have issued an urgent warning for the public to be on their guard.
The victims were a 68-year-old man and a 75-year-old woman.
People have recently been targeted by fraudsters who cold-call claiming to be a representative of their bank.
The fraudsters then state that the individual’s bank account and debit cards have been compromised and persuade them to transfer funds from their existing account into a new account.
Gangs posing as police or bank employees ring people at home telling them there has been a fraud and to ring their bank.
But the criminal does not hang up, so when the victim tries to ring out they are still connected to the fraudster.
PC Ian Campbell said: “This is a despicable crime committed by fraudsters who pick on vulnerable individuals and I want to raise awareness within our community of this scam to ensure that no-one else falls victim to this.
“If you are cold called by someone claiming to be from your bank, it is advisable to call your bank using a different phone as scammers can leave the phone line open and reconnect as soon as you dial a new number, continuing the scam by pretending to be a different person from the same organisation.
“Please be aware that banks do not request personal information over the phone and would not ask you to transfer money to a different account. Anyone who is unsure of what to do when receiving a phonecall like this should always seek a second opinion.
“If you do suspect the call to be suspicious, hang up the phone and advise your bank.”
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Courier.