State pensioners warned over answering phone call that'll cost them £4,000

A pensioner has issued an urgent scam warning after being swindled out of £4,000 by ONE phone call. 75-year-old Harold Richardson received a scam call last summer, which saw a fraudster pose as Microsoft after contacting him at his home in Kent.

The con artist informed poor Harold, who was hoodwinked by the swindle, that his computer had been infected with malware. But it was all a ploy to take control of his computer and garner his personal details - in a brutal Cost of Living blow.

He said: “They were very convincing, playing on a common issue to get me to grant them access to my computer, which gave them access to all of my personal information, including email passwords and online banking details. The scam cost me £4,000 in total, most of which I did eventually get back, however, this took a lot of time and energy and caused me a great deal of anxiety and stress.”

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Simrat Sharma, mobiles expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, from AI voice cloning to video deepfakes, making it more difficult than ever for consumers to spot them and stay protected. People of all ages should be vigilant when answering unexpected calls and never share personal or financial information over the phone if you do not know the caller.

“We know people often feel embarrassed to talk about their experiences with fraud, however reporting scams to your network or Action Fraud will flag certain numbers and potentially disable future scams for others. There are also lots of existing services that are free and easy to access and can help keep you protected. For example, many providers offer call-screening technologies which prevent suspicious calls from reaching you.“

Jenny Willott, Re-engage CEO, said: “Fraudsters often target older adults who may be socially isolated, and it’s upsetting to see so many of those aged 65 and older have been targeted by a mobile phone scam ten or more times. While the financial impact of scams can be great, there is also a significant emotional cost. Suspicious calls and scam attempts can cause distress and anxiety, and the stigma around being a victim of fraud means many people are embarrassed to speak up.”