A BOGUS caller duped a Dumbarton man into handing over thousands of pounds in a recent scam.

Police Scotland are carrying out enquiries after the bogus workman called at the home of a 57-year-old man in Dumbuie Avenue between Saturday, October 27 and Wednesday, October 31.

The scammer advised the householder that urgent roof repairs were required.

The 57-year-old man then withdrew a four-figure sum of cash from the bank and handed it over to the fraudster only to be told that he required several thousand pounds more.

After withdrawing another two large sums of money, bank staff became suspicious, the transfers were stopped, and police informed.

The suspect is described as white, 5ft 9 – 6ft, medium build and spoke with an Irish accent. He was wearing dark blue clothing.

Detective Constable Iain Watson said: “I’d like to speak to anyone who was in the vicinity of Dumbuie Ave, Dumbarton between 27 and 31 October 2018 and remembers seeing the suspect hanging around the area or has actually been approached by him at their home offering to do work.

“I would also like to remind people to be careful when approached by callers who come to your door unannounced or uninvited and offer to carry out work to your home or sell items to you.

“Whilst many may be genuine, there are some people who will try to con you of money – sometimes large amounts of money.

“If you are at all suspicious of people who call at your home, ask them for identification and why they’re there.

“It's known that rogue traders will usually cold call, claiming to be workers offering to make repairs or carry out work on your house, garden or driveway. In reality, they charge inflated prices for substandard or unnecessary work or are trying to get into your home to steal valuables.

"Generally, people are very trusting and it’s just wrong that these conmen prey on that trust or the vulnerabilities of some people and it can have a hugely detrimental effect on the life of victims.

“By following some easy steps, you can save yourself becoming a victim of this type of crime.

“For example, don’t let callers into your house unless they have an appointment and have confirmed they are genuine. If you are in any doubt, tell the caller to come back when someone else is home, genuine callers won’t mind rearranging.

“I would also strongly advise against dealing with cold callers for property maintenance and repairs to your home – shop around if you decide you need work done.

“Finally, remember to look out for those in your community and report any suspicious activity immediately either by dialling 101 or 999 in an emergency.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at Dumbarton via telephone number 101 and quoting incident number 1306 of 31 October 2018.