7:10am Friday 19th March 2010
AN elderly woman is warning others to be on their guard after she was targeted by a phone scam.
Anne Emerson, 75, knew within minutes of answering the phone she wasn’t dealing with a genuine call from her electricity company.
The widow, who lives in Vange, said she first became suspicious when the male caller failed to mention which company he was from, but tried to fob her off by saying it oversaw all the electricity suppliers.
He then told her because she was such a valuable and reliable customer, he would be sending her a special device to plug into her electricity socket which would save her 40 per cent on her bill.
But before he sent her the gizmo, the caller asked if Mrs Emerson could just “remind” him of her date of birth and her bank details.
The pensioner hung-up.
The next day the grandmother-of-two phoned her son, who lives in nearby Bowers Gifford, and discovered he and his wife had had been called by the same scammer that very morning.
She has since reported the call to the police, but wants to let as many people know in case they don’t realise they are being conned.
She said: “My husband died 18 months ago and my family are very concerned about me. They are always telling me to be careful, and I am.
“But you do hear about these scams, and lots of people fall for them. I just want to make people aware about this one and try and stop somebody falling for it.”
Roger Grimwade, a spokesman for Essex Police, urged homeowners to be on their guard.
He said: “If anybody is contacted and asked to give their bank details they should be 100 per cent sure they know who they are talking to, and that the call is genuine. If they have any suspicions they should call the police.”
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