Whitburn Scam: elderly pensioner conned out of four figure sum by bogus callers in West Lothian

Police are appealing for help to trace the two men who scammed an 85-year-old out of a four figure sum.

An elderly pensioner in West Lothian has been scammed out of a four figure sum by two bogus workmen claiming to be erecting scaffolding.

The 85-year-old man handed over the sum of money to the men who claimed to be doing work on a neighbouring house and needed payment.

Officers have spoken to neighbouring properties who advised no work was being carried out in the area by these men, or anyone connected to them.

Stock image: Michael Gillan.

The incident occurred in the Whitburn area at around 9 am on Tuesday morning and police have launched an appeal for information to help trace the two men.

The first male suspect has been described as short - just over five foot, in his early 40s and slim built with dark hair.

He was also smartly dressed.

The second suspect is described as around six foot, black hair, unshaven and looked unkempt.

They drove a long, grey estate style car with ladders attached to the roof.

Detective Sergeant Peter Baxter, of Livingston Police Station, said: "It's disappointing that these incidents continue to take place and it saddens us that vulnerable people fall prey to these types of scams.

"I’m appealing to anyone who may have been approached by these men at your property. If you have any CCTV of dash cam footage, please let police know, quoting incident number 1350 of 4 August.

“We want to make sure that the people in our communities are kept safe and informed and I would urge you to speak to elderly or vulnerable family and friends to advise them of bogus caller incidents like this one and reduce the likelihood of them becoming a victim.

“There are simple steps you can take avoid this type of crime; for example, don’t let callers into your house unless they have an appointment and have confirmed they’re genuine traders. If you’re in any doubt, ask them to come back at a later date or when someone else is home - genuine callers won’t mind rearranging.”

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