AN investigation is underway after crooks tried to steal £4,800 from a pensioner's bank account.

The 77-year-old victim, from Elderslie, was targeted on Thursday, when he received an email about his Amazon Prime subscription.

After phoning the number provided in the email, he confirmed his bank details.

Minutes later, he got a phone call from his bank to say £4,800 had been removed from his account in a suspicious transaction.

Bank staff then froze the account and the theft was foiled.

Police said the attempted fraud was one of a series of scams being carried out by criminal gangs.

Inspector Allan O'Hare, head of community policing for Renfrewshire, urged local residents – and older people, in particular – to be on their guard, as there has been a marked increase in phone fraud during lockdown.

He said: "Thankfully, this man managed to recover his money but that is not usually the case.

"Crooks are targeting people because they know they are more likely to be at home.

"Legitimate companies will not ask people for their bank details over the phone. If you feel unsure, just hang up.

"These criminals sound very professional, so there is no embarrassment if you have fallen victim. If that has happened, contact the police immediately."

Last week, The Gazette revealed how an 80-year-old Linwood woman had her life savings of £53,000 stolen from her bank account.

She was contacted in late February by someone claiming that her BT internet account had been hacked.

The crooks were able to empty her account after she provided her bank details.

They also tried to take out a £20,000 loan in her name but that was foiled by bank staff before it was completed.

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