A callous pensioner, who was part of an international phone scam which preyed on other elderly people, faces losing his home to compensate his victims.
Robert Adams, 74, was involved in taking more than £53,000 from two men, one aged 89 and the other now deceased.
He said he acted as a collection agent for the criminals in India behind the scam.
When the victims’ money was paid into his account, he kept 10% and the rest was sent on.
Before he is sentenced, Adams has to decide whether or not he is prepared to sell his home to help pay back the money and is also facing proceeds of crime action from the Crown.
Victims were hooked by the promise they were owed money but they first had to pay in sums to get their hands on it.
They were bombarded withinstructions to send higher and higher amounts but by the time their money ran out they had seen nothing of the refunds.
Some of the money was transferred to India while other payments went into Adams’ own account.
Adams, of Admiralty Road, Rosyth, admitted forming a fraudulent scheme, with others, to obtain money onoccasions between April 1 2012 and October 13 2013 at the Bank of Scotland, Bothwell Street, Dunfermline, and at his home.
He targeted 89-year-old WilliamDalglish and the late John Sharp, who was 67 at the time.
Adams admitted obtaining a total of £53,120.88 by fraud.
During investigations, staff at the Bank of Scotland on Bothwell Street said they became suspicious about the large withdrawals being made by Adams and contacted their internal frauddepartment.
Adams initially denied being involved but eventually admitted he had been recruited to act as a collection agent,forwarding the money to Kashmir, minus 10% for himself.
Adams admitted he had profited by £4,700.
Defence solicitor Ian Beatson said his client had been “a very necessary cog” in the scheme.
Sheriff Charles Macnair deferredsentence until August 5 to give Adams time to decide if he was prepared tosell his home to pay compensation toMr Dalglish and to the estate ofMr Sharp.