Hang up on latest phone scam

A concerned resident is warning people not to fall for what she believes is an elaborate phone scam.

The woman received a call from a man with a foreign accent who claimed his name was James Martin.

He told her that he was calling from the Ministry of Justice as she had been selected by them to receive over £4,000.

The man explained that this was because ‘she had paid all her taxes’ and ‘maintained a good level of correctness’.

The woman said: “He said someone would come to my home address to present me with my cheque by hand - but as far as I’m aware he didn’t know where I lived.

“I asked for his phone number and told him that I believed this was a hoax call and that I would be reporting it.

“He didn’t get the chance to ask for my address or bank details but I suspect that was the next thing he would have done.”

The woman added: “I would hate to think that anyone elderly might fall for something like this and have money stolen from their bank account.”

Diane Campbell, director of governance and regulation at East Dunbartonshire Council, said: “There are countless numbers of telephone scams on the go, and people who receive unsolicited calls telling them they have either won or qualified for a cash prize should be very wary.”

The council official added: “The scammers are becoming more sophisticated in their approaches and local residents should be very careful not to divulge any personal information whatsoever when receiving calls of this nature.”

If you are concerned about a phone call you have received contact East Dunbartonshire Trading Standards on 0300 1234510 or e-mail [email protected].

You can also contact Police Scotland by calling the non-emergency number 101.