Angus woman Edith Graham had £14,000 emptied from her bank account by conniving fraudsters.
But in a defiant message, the 68-year-old Montrose grandmother urged people who had been fleeced by confidence tricksters to speak out rather than suffer in silence.
She called on the vulnerable, elderly and the disadvantaged not to be ashamed or embarrassed, but to talk to friends and family and tell the police about scams they had been approached with, or victim of.
It is, she believes, the best way to make life hard for these criminals.
Mrs Graham was swindled in July but did not tell anyone other than the bank until around December.
She said she felt embarrassed stupid even.
But now she advises: “Talk to somebody because it is surprising the reaction that you’ll get.
“It was the person from Victim Support who pointed out to me that I was the victim.
“I hadn’t looked at myself like that, but now I want people to come out and speak about things. Don’t keep it to yourself like I did tell people what you know.”
Edith fell prey to a bank scam following an entirely plausible phone call from a man claiming to be from her bank.
He was well-spoken and advised her there had been some “unusual” activity on her account.
Concerned rather than suspicious, Edith imagined the man sitting in front of a computer with her account details on it.
The caller persuaded her to transfer an ISA into the “compromised” account and then told her to go to her branch and put the entire amount into a separate holding account, which he gave her details of.
He told her not to discuss the matter with anyone at the bank because of the suspicions he had raised over the unusual activity on her account.
She followed his instructions, went home, received a second call and confirmed she had done what was asked of her.
She never heard from the man again. Within 24 hours, her life savings were in a stranger’s account.
As the penny dropped, she called the bank and her worst fears were confirmed.
She has heard of the “sucker’s list” people identified by the authorities as being known to fraudsters, but she doesn’t see herself that way.
She said: “I wouldn’t say I was a sucker, or unintelligent. I’m a reasonably intelligent woman and didn’t think I would be taken in.
“I don’t get taken in by things that come through the post I don’t know if it was a bad day and he caught me unaware?
“I worked for that money all my life. The guy can’t have a conscience. How does he sleep at night?”
Her savings boosted a crook’s coffers to the tune of £14,000 and Christmas was a low-key affair, if not downright tough, for her.
However, she did receive good news from the Bank of Scotland on Christmas Eve, when the local branch was able to confirm that £14,000 was being reinstated into her account.
It was a huge relief for the pensioner, even though she was still suffering from the hurt and anxiety of being conned.
Edith said: “I was down for a few weeks and couldn’t get myself out of it at all.
“I don’t know if it was all the tension or keeping it to myself all that time, but once I told a friend, it was much easier.
“I’m slowly getting back to normal and I am determined it won’t happen to me again.”
Police inquiries into the scam continue.