Scammers claiming to be working for Amazon have succeeded in stealing thousands of pounds from unsuspecting victims in North Wales.
The fraudsters have been targeting elderly people in the region by calling them and claiming to be from online retailer Amazon.
Over the weekend, two victims who live on Anglesey were left out of pocket to the tune of £10,000 and £7,500 after being scammed.
In order to steal money, the scammers persuaded the victims to allow remote access to their computer.
They proceeded to gain access to the victim’s bank account and withdraw a significant amount of money.
Police said scams similar to this one reduced considerably during lockdown but now, with more call centres opening, the numbers of scam reports are increasing again.
Financial abuse safeguarding officer DC Rachel Roberts said: "Unfortunately, reports of scam phone calls have started to increase in the area and we believe that elderly members of the community are more vulnerable to being caught out by these tactics.
"If you have an elderly neighbour, family member or friend, please share the message that if you receive an unexpected phone call, or other communication, you should stop to consider whether this call might not be genuine.
“Companies such as Amazon wouldn’t call you out of the blue and make unsolicited requests to remote access your computer. If this happens to you, hang up and contact the company back on a known direct phone number.”
If you receive a suspicious phone call, report it to Action fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via their website.
