An elderly grandmother who was conned out of more than £14,000 after being manipulated by fraudsters posing as police officers has described the ordeal as “absolutely wicked” following the jailing of three men behind the major scam.
The 79-year-old woman, who has asked not to be identified, was contacted out of the blue by a man who gave her the impression he was from Police Scotland and her identity had been stolen by someone who worked in her local bank branch.
She told STV News: “They said if I told anyone, even my family, that it might ruin the police investigation, so you don’t want to cause problems for the police. I just went along with it.”
What followed was five days of relentless pressure, deception and intimidation.
Believing she was helping authorities investigate a serious crime, she was instructed to repeatedly withdraw cash from her bank account to be collected by someone from the bank at her home.
“I wasn’t really suspicious. I thought, well, if it’s the police,” she said. “Throughout it all, they gave me the feeling that I was being a good citizen if I did as I was told. That’s what kept me hooked.”
By the end of the scam, she’d handed over £14,000.
Under surveillance
The woman told STV News the fraudsters maintained regular contact, directing her movements, urging her to keep her mobile phone charged and reassuring her whenever she expressed doubts.
At times, she was told she was being monitored on CCTV. Someone claiming to be from her bank even visited her home twice to collect cash.
STV News“This had gone on for five days,” she said. “I’d been backwards and forwards to the bank, drawing out money and taking it places.
“I was getting more and more frazzled. It began to dawn on me that I was being scammed, but I didn’t know how to get out of it because I’d been told not to tell a soul.
“It almost implied that nasty things might happen if I suggested it was a scam. It was a horrible feeling. I felt very isolated, very alone and manipulated.”
Asked how often the fraudsters contacted her, she said: “Quite a lot. Some days there were many phone calls. I was told where I had to go and how much money I had to draw out.
“At one point, I said I wasn’t happy about this at all. But they had an answer for everything. Everything.”
Elaborate deception
The scam operated between October 2022 and November 2024 and targeted pensioners aged between 70 and 90 across Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire, Dunbartonshire and Ayrshire. Detectives say there was evidence they were using online phone directories and appeared to be targeting pensioners in affluent areas.
Using information obtained from online phone directories, the gang convinced victims they were speaking to police officers and bank investigators. They operated from a base in East Kilbride, a private let where they made the calls to their unsuspecting victims using their prepared script.
The gang had fake driving licenses, passports and police ID cards from forces across the UK, creating what prosecutors described as a highly sophisticated operation.
The gang ultimately conned elderly victims out of around £600,000.
Some of the proceeds were converted into euros, while attempts were also made to purchase cryptocurrency.
Victims were told to tell bank tellers who were questioning the large transactions that they were buying cars or helping family members with a house purchase. At travel agents, they were told to say they were getting currency for a holiday.
Luxury purchases
The scale of the deception was revealed following a major police investigation. Detectives say the callous fraudsters were using the cash to fund a lavish lifestyle.
One woman was persuaded to withdraw funds and purchase a Rolex watch worth £16,500.
In another case, attempts were made to order £30,000 worth of gold bullion in a pensioner’s name and exchange £10,000 into cryptocurrency.
A 79-year-old woman was instructed to place her mobile phone, bank cards and PIN numbers into an envelope for collection by someone claiming to represent her bank. A £21,000 loan was subsequently taken out in her name.
More than £10,000 of her money was later spent during a shopping spree at the Apple Store in Braehead, while over £3,000 was spent on designer clothing and electrical goods.
A 77-year-old victim was told he was being watched on CCTV as part of a supposed investigation.
Another man, aged 83, was warned his “movements were being monitored” and ordered to attend a McDonald’s in West Dunbartonshire, where he handed over £6,000 to someone he believed worked for his bank. He was also instructed not to contact the police.
His bank cards were later used to purchase an e-bike worth more than £4,500
Warning to the public
Police Scotland says they deal with 17,000 reports of fraud a year, but know this figure is likely to be much higher as it is an under-reported issue.
Campaigners have urged people not to underestimate the sophistication of modern fraudsters.
Speaking after the case, Adam Stachura from Age Scotland said there had been “layer upon layer of deception” involved.
“It’s easy to look back and ask how someone could possibly fall for this,” a spokesperson said. “But you’re not living in that moment. You’re being targeted because of your vulnerability.
“Things can feel entirely credible, and before you know it, you’re down a rabbit hole with nobody to turn to.”
They urged anyone receiving unexpected requests involving money to take a step back and seek independent advice.
“There shouldn’t be intimidation from the police. There shouldn’t be intimidation from banks. If you feel under pressure, then something is definitely wrong.”
For the 79-year-old woman, the experience has left a lasting impact.
“You feel you’ve been so stupid,” she said. “But I don’t know how you can warn people when you’re dealing with such manipulative people and such technically clever people.
“It’s wicked cleverness.”
Reflecting on the lavish lifestyle funded by victims’ savings, she added: “They were living the life of Riley on other people’s hard-earned money. I feel really angry that people do that to innocent people.”
Ringleader Ahsan Shahid admitted 31 charges and has previous convictions for serious violence, while Sean Singh pleaded guilty to 18 charges. Duncan Currie, admitted ten, was described in court as a “prolific offender”, previously convicted of crimes of dishonesty and carelessness. He was involved in the conspiracy from July 2024.
The judge has asked for background reports before sentencing all three in November.
More help and advice for the victims of fraud can be found on the Take Five to Stop Fraud website (https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/about/about-us/), a national campaign supported by Police Scotland.
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