Conmen take £20,000 from Penarth pensioner in scam

Police say the UK wide scam has escalated in South Wales in recent months

A 95-year-old woman who was conned out of £20,000 is one of hundreds across South Wales being targeted in a new scam, police have said.

Margaret Turner, from Penarth, was targeted by fraudsters posing as police officers who convince victims to transfer them their funds.

South Wales Police said the UK-wide scam has escalated in its area.

The force said it "never contacts people in this manner" and urged the public to be vigilant.

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Miss Turner has been conned by various scams three times in the last 10 months.

In the first incident, she was called by a fraudster claiming to be from the HSBC fraud investigation team, and told her account had been compromised.

She was advised to withdraw her money and put it into the account numbers given to her. She lost £5,500, but was able to get the money back.

Margaret Turner has lost thousands through scams

The second time she was called by a conman claiming to be a sergeant from the serious fraud squad. A courier met her to collect £7,000.

In a third incident, a fake sergeant called her and claimed fraudsters had withdrawn money from her account. She sent another £7,000 to him for "safekeeping".

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She also lost thousands of pounds worth of jewellery after being told it was not safe in her home.

Speaking to South Wales Police, she said: "I was anxious to get rid of him so I said alright and did this, that and the other to get rid of him.

Margaret Turner has been targeted by scammers on three occasions

"I realised what was happening when I got a printout from the bank and I was in the red. I can't think how I was so stupid. It's a ghastly thing to do to anybody.

"My message to other people who receive a call of this nature is to tell the police at once. Don't give the fraudsters anything."

The scam is being tackled by forces across the UK under the name Operation Signature.

Supt Alun Morgan added: "This type of criminality is upsetting even to the most hardened detective.

"I have a team [focusing] on this particularly cruel type of offending - we are talking of people's life savings in some cases - and a number of positive lines of enquiry are under way.

"I would urge those with elderly relatives and those who care for or know senior citizens in the wider community to make them aware of this scam."