An article in the Sutton Guardian helped a 93-year-old woman avoid being conned.
The partially deaf and blind woman, who lives off Demesne Road, Wallington, answered a telephone call asking for her bank details.
But she realised immediately it was a scam after seeing seeing an article in our newspaper last Thursday, August 22.
The woman had remembered that the article stated that an elderly woman had lost more than £1,000 because of just such a scam, and so she told the caller to contact her trusted neighbour who helps her with her financial affairs.
Detective Inspector Sarah Rees, of Sutton police, said: "This woman was on the ball and refused to be drawn into revealing her bank details.
"To refuse such requests is absolutely the right thing to do.
"We want residents to report all such calls because they are likely to be scams as banks will never ask for bank details because they already have them."
There were six scam calls to elderly and vulnerable residents in Sutton between August 12-20.
If you receive such a call report it to police on 999. If you have been a victim of this crime call police on 101.
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