A DUMBARTON pensioner has been swindled out of around £2,000 in a telephone tax scam.

Last week the 78-year-old received a phone call with a recorded message claiming to be from HMRC, asking them to call a number to discuss a tax matter.

On calling the number, the victim spoke with an individual claiming to be from HMRC, informing him an audit had identified a shortfall in tax payments which needed to be corrected immediately, pending court action.

The victim paid £2,000 in bank transfers and by pre-paid vouchers over the phone and via his bank.

And in the same week over in Clydebank, a 60-year-old man was also hit by scammers, losing £7,800 after receiving a call from an individual allegedly working at his bank.

The caller informed him a problem had arisen with his account and funds required to be transferred to a sage account temporarily until the problem was resolved. When he transferred funds to the account provided by the caller the call was ended.

The news comes as figures obtained by the Reporter via a Freedom of Information request revealed more than 200 fraud crimes were reported in two years, between June 2015 and 2017. 

Police Scotland confirmed just over 100 people had been charged in relation to the reported crimes over the two-year period. 

Between June 1, 2016 and 2017 there were 103 recorded fraud crimes committed in West Dunbartonshire, and 13 of the victims were aged 65 and over. 

The crimes were recorded in the following wards: Clydebank Central 22, Clydebank Waterfront 20, Dumbarton 20, Kilpatrick four, Leven 19, Lomond 17, and one unknown. 

Of these 103 recorded incidents, 58 people were charged in relation to a fraud crime.

Between June 1, 2015 and 2016 there were 113 recorded fraud crimes committed in West Dunbartonshire, and again 13 of the victims were aged 65 and over. 

The crimes were recorded in the following wards: Clydebank Central 26, Clydebank Waterfront 16, Dumbarton 21, Helensburgh and Lomond South two, Kilpatrick nine, Leven 28, and Lomond 15. 

Of these 113 recorded incidents, 47 people were charged. 

Police say that officers receive regular training on fraud as it is part of the core training syllabus.