A Broughty Ferry pensioner has been conned out of £1000 by a man who convinced her that her roof was in need of urgent repair.
The 83-year-old, of Rossie Avenue, was persuaded to go to an ATM to get money for the bogus workman, who then disappeared with her cash.
The culprit spent two hours telling her he could fix it and sort various other odd jobs around her house after calling between around 9.30am and 11.30am on Wednesday. The pensioner took up his offer and agreed to pay him £1000 in advance.
He then followed her in his small maroon car to the Lloyds TSB cash point at the junction of Fort Street and Brook Street in Broughty Ferry. He parked next to the shoe shop at the junction. It was then the pensioner noticed he had another two men in his car.
They followed her back to her home where she handed over the money and he then left, promising to return to “measure up” shortly. Almost immediately, she realised her mistake and contacted the police.
The victim’s neighbour Alice Lowes, who had spotted the men earlier in the day, described the incident as “shocking.”
“I didn’t like the look of them,” she said. “I shut my blinds at the front to put them off. That’s really shocked me to hear about that. We’ve lived here 30 years and she was one of the first to make friends.”
Alice (60), who works at Ninewells, said she keeps an eye on her older neighbour.
The pensioner visited Alice on Thursday after the theft and said she never mentioned the ordeal but “didn’t seem quite right.”
Next door neighbour Iain Ross (59), said, “It’s worrying for older people. People will need to be on their guard if there are these bogus callers operating in the area.”
The man is described as being in his 30s, 5ft 8in, with short dark brown hair and of an average build. He was of very neat appearance, with a light-coloured shirt and tie, a dark blue jacket and dark blue trousers.
Anyone with any information that could help to trace him should contact police immediately on 0300 111 222 or speak to any officer.