A DUNFERMLINE man is helping disabled and older people to understand technology after scammers stole £50,000 from his mum.

Rob McLean, 56, started volunteering with AbilityNet last month and has since been using his free time to support those who need a helping hand with home gadgets.

The retired retail worker joined the charity, which has around 300 volunteers across the UK, in a bid to stop others from losing thousands of pounds to criminals as his mum, Elizabeth Adam, did.

He told the Press: "One of the reasons I signed up was because my own mum was born deaf and there's loads of stuff the deaf community aren't aware of around scams especially on the internet.

"She was scammed out of £50,000, it took me three years but I managed to go through the independent financial authority and got the bank to pay it all back.

"The level that these scammers are at just now is really incredible, they might send you what you think is a video of the person that is saying they are in love with you.

"It's shocking, they just abuse vulnerable people and con them out of their money."

Rob can provide aid with any home device - including mobile phones, laptops, tablets and televisions - and has been provided with online courses to improve his own skills.

The service is completely free and is open to any older or disabled person.

Rob added: "Last Monday I was helping an older woman who had bought a Chromebook from QVC, she couldn't even get logged onto it.

"She wasn't realising the way you log on you have to have a Gmail account, I was able to go in and help her.

"At the same time I noticed she was signed up for two subscriptions which were about to come off and cost her £450 a year.

"We talked through them and she said she didn't actually need them, we managed to cancel them and save her all that money."

Rob also dedicates his time to Blood Bikes Scotland, a service run by volunteers for the NHS which delivers small urgent items from one location to another or to patient's homes.

He continued: "Day to day, phones are supposed to be getting smarter and simpler but for some people they're just getting more difficult to use which is why a lot of the older generation stay with an older style.

"Actually, having a smart phone could really help them.

"My mum's deaf and a lot of the time when she's at home members of the deaf community can video call her and they can use sign language with each other."

To find out more about AbilityNet visit their website abilitynet.org.uk.