POLICE have warned the public against giving their bank details over the phone after a 57-year-old Edinburgh woman lost nearly £80,000 in a so-called "vishing" scam.
The victim was conned into disclosing her account details after fraudsters phoned her at home in Cammon Hill at 12.30pm on Thursday. The caller claimed to be someone from her bank. During the call, the woman was informed of suspected fraudulent activity on her account and was walked through a number of security steps before being asked to transfer money out of her existing account to a 'safe' account.
In addition, the woman was instructed to go into her branch and transfer more cash from her account.
As a result, almost £80,000 was stolen.
Detective Inspector Arron Clinkscales said: "Unfortunately, another person has fallen victim to this scam and it is essential that we reiterate our warning for people to be cautious if they are cold-called by anyone claiming to be from their bank.
"Neither the bank, nor the police will ever ask for your account details and we would urge the public never to give out any of this information if contacted.
"We are continuing to work alongside our colleagues in the banking sector to ensure customers are suitably warned about this type of fraudulent activity.
"If you ever have any concerns in relation to the authenticity of a caller then do not provide them with any of your personal information. Hang up and contact police immediately."
In August, it emerged a 53-year-old woman in Edinburgh had lost £160,000 in savings after falling victim to the scam. She was also told over the phone that her bank account had been hacked and instructed on how to move money into a safe account.
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