Police are warning residents to be vigilant after becoming aware of a new phone scam in circulation.
Between Saturday May 14 and May 21, an elderly woman from Bargoed received scam calls asked her to buy ‘Paysafecard’ vouchers (similar to Western Union payments) from her local shop to values over £100.
The scammer told her that these would be used to fund the processing of a PPI refund that was due to her.
They told her to keep the vouchers safe, as they would only collect them by courier once the refund had been put into her bank account.
They also asked for the PIN numbers printed on the vouchers to confirm their purchase.
The victim thought that the funds remained safe, however once the scammers had the PIN, then they had full access to the money.
The scam only ended when the victim ran out of money. The scammers tried to pressure the elderly woman into buying more, but when she told them she couldn’t afford it, they hung up.
Police are keen to remind residents that they should not give out personal or financial information to anyone that they do not completely trust, and that anyone in any doubt at all should seek professional advice before parting with any money.
Anyone with information regarding the scam can call Gwent Police on 101 quoting log number 293 26/05/2016.
Issues of this nature can be reported to Gwent Police by calling 101 or by contacting Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Trading Standards team on 01495 235291.