Phone scam targets vulnerable residents on Tayside

Tens of thousands of pounds have been pillaged from the bank accounts of some ofTayside’s most vulnerable people by thieves posing as police officers.

Criminal gangs used a “sophisticated and convincing” telephone scam to entrap a number of carefully targeted victims.

Police believe “scare tactics” used in Broughty Ferry, where a 93-year-old was targeted, and Monifieth, where a 72-year-old was contacted, are just the tip of the iceberg, with further cases emerging every day.

The force has now issued an urgent warning to people across the region.

A spokeswoman said: “It is horrific how much money these criminals have been able to steal from their victims in such a short space of time. Numerous bank accounts have been compromised and a very significant amount of money many thousands of pounds has been taken.”