Warning Issued After Man Scammed Out Of £28,000 In Co Down

Police have issued a warning to the public after a man was scammed out of £28,000 in Co Down.

The victim received a telephone call from an individual claiming to be from British Telecom (BT).

The scammer said that he had a refund to process for him.

Detective Sergeant James Johnston said: "He asked them to log onto their computer and talked them through a process to allow him remote access to their computer-desktop.

"The man has then gained access to their online banking account and withdrawn over £28,000. This follows two other similar phone scam incidents which occurred recently in the County Down area.

"These examples show us how easily scammers can extract large sums of money from unsuspecting members of the public. It is therefore extremely important to take time to consider who it is we are speaking to when we receive an unsolicited call and always be wary of any individual that cold calls you.

"If you are at all suspicious about a call that you receive, hang up and phone the organisation that the person is purporting to represent to check their authenticity. Ideally make the call from another telephone so you can be sure the original caller has not remained on the line."

(CD/LM)