Woman, 92, conned out of £23,000 in phone scam

Police are investigating after a 92-year-old woman was scammed out of £23,000 by "despicable criminals".

Lincolnshire Police said the woman, from Grantham, had received a number of calls from a man claiming to be from Barclays Bank since last Thursday.

He told the woman the bank was investigating her account and gave her details of another account she should move her money to.

A force spokesman encouraged people to look after elderly and vulnerable relatives and friends to make sure they don't fall victim to similar scams.

He added: "These despicable criminals will take (people's) life savings without a second thought.

"This type of offence is becoming increasingly common.

"Fraudsters make multiple calls, often claiming to be from a bank or that they are police officers, until they latch on to an elderly or vulnerable potential victim.

"They work from a script and can be very plausible and persuasive."

Police have referred the incident to Action Fraud, the national fraud and internet crime reporting centre.