UNSUNG HEROES...
NAILSEA DRIVER HAILED AFTER QUICK THINKING STOPS ELDERLY LADY LOSING HER LIFE SAVINGS IN SCAM
A quick-thinking taxi driver has been praised by police after preventing an elderly woman from losing her life sav- ings to fraudsters. According to Som- ersetLive, Donald Wilby, a driver for Nailsea and Back- well Taxis, became suspicious when the 87-year-old told him she was on her way to withdraw all her money as there was “something funny going on with her bank account”. The fare had been booked via a phone call by someone with a foreign ac- cent, who asked for a company to pick
up “his mother” and take her to the NatWest Bank in Clevedon. This combination of events alerted Mr Wilby, who decided to tell staff when he arrived at the bank. The pensioner’s ac- count was then frozen and police were called. DS Marc Milliner of the Avon and Somer- set Police’s Com- plex Crime Unit said: “Mr Wilby, the taxi driver, did exactly what we would have wanted and raised his concerns with the bank and ourselves. His quick-thinking action has potentially saved the victim
Taxi driver Don Wilby
from being duped out of her life sav- ings. “We hope other taxi drivers and those providing a courier collection service will take this on board and alert us if
they are asked to take elderly and vul- nerable people to withdraw cash from their banks or are asked to collect packages from peo- ple on behalf of police officers or
bank officials. “We would also remind people to be vigilant, especially when the caller claims to be from the police or bank, claiming there is a problem with their bank account and encouraging them to withdraw large sums of cash.” Police have issued this advice: • Police and banks will never ask for bank account or PIN numbers over the phone or send a courier to collect bank cards or money.
• If you receive what you believe to be a scam call, end it immediately and
call your bank or police.
Before
making a confir- mation phone call either: wait five minutes or use a different phone in case your line has been locked by the scammer.
• If you have doubts about whom you are speaking to, ask for ID. Police officers and other official callers expect this.
• Taxi services and courier companies in the county who have been made aware of the cour- ier fraud offending and continue to pick up ‘packages’ from victims could face prosecution.
18
MAY 2019
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