A DUNFERMLINE pensioner was saved from handing over thousands of pounds to fraudsters thanks to a crime prevention partnership.

The 86-year-old woman went to the local branch of her bank in the town last July to ask for £13,500 be transferred to an unknown account.

After bank staff became wary, enquiries revealed that the woman had received a phone call from a man claiming to be from the bank’s fraud department, who had advised her that her account had been compromised and she should transfer the money to a ‘safe account’.

Due to the diligence of the bank staff and the intervention of Police Scotland officers, the money was not transferred and the woman provided with appropriate prevention advice.

The elderly lady was saved from devastating consequences thanks to the Banking Protocol – a partnership between Police Scotland, the finance industry and Trading Standards.

It was launched in March 2018 and has seen bank staff being trained to spot the signs of a customer who may have fallen victim to a scam or who may be about to.

Staff look out for customers seeking to move large sums of money to a new account, an overseas account or making unusual transactions while in the branch. The staff member can alert police and speak to the customer.

In the last financial year (April 2019 – March 2020) £6.85 million of fraudulent transactions were prevented in Scotland by the initiative and to date, the protocol has also stopped almost 200 members of the public losing more than £1 million.

Furthermore, due to the lockdown, which has prevented people going to their banks, there has been a decrease of around 50 per cent in the number of incidents reported in this financial year compared to the same period in 2019.

Now, as people are able to return to the High Street, the opportunities for the fraudsters will increase and police are urging the public to be vigilant.

Police Scotland’s Assistant Chief Constable, Angela McLaren, said: “We remain committed to working with our partners to protect people from becoming victims of fraud.

"Unfortunately, fraudsters will seek every opportunity to exploit anyone they perceive to be susceptible and with whom they can forge a controlling, exploitative relationship through fear, intimidation or false promises.”

“If you suspect you, or someone you know, has been the victim of financial fraud you should contact Police Scotland via 101 or, in an emergency, 999.”