Warning after Carron pensioner is fraud victim

The victim, who is in his 70s and lives in the Carron area had over £3000 removed from his bank account but the transaction was intercepted prior to the money being processed.

Police are now warning people to be on their guard.

The man received a phone call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft, working in conjunction with BT, about an alleged issue with his computer.

The caller advised the man to log into his computer, open his most used websites/apps and then give the caller remote access to his computer to run a scan for virus software.

The money was then taken from his account.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We would advise people to always be wary of unknown callers and never provide anyone you don’t know with access to your computer or personal information.

“If you receive a call like this, advise the caller that you will contact the company on your own terms and hang up.

“Call your broadband provider directly on a different phone, as fraudsters can keep the line open and intercept any further calls.

“If you may have been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and call Police Scotland on 101 when possible.”

For more advice, please visit Action Fraud at http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/node/257.