Pensioner helps to expose fraud scam

Disabled Bette Anderson, 83, of Ash Walk, Warminster, has been plagued with phone calls by Canadian fraudsters telling her she has won a cash prize of over £100,000.

But the alarm bells rang when a man claiming to be from the Canadian Gaming and Export Commission called her Warminster home demanding £1,000 cash up front.

The pensioner realised she was being set up and began to secretly collect evidence, including names, phone numbers and details of conversations.

Now she has handed over the information to fraud squad chiefs and reported the attempted scam to the Canadian High Commission in London. The scam is believed to fleece $1billion from victims every year and on average three people in Wiltshire are conned each month.

Bette said: "I first got a call about two weeks ago saying I had won a Canadian prize draw and someone would get back to me. I realised it was a bit suspicious and then a man rang back claiming he was from the Canadian government saying I had won £105,000.

"By this stage it was obviously a scam but I pretended to be a silly old woman and played along until I got as much information as possible."

Bette managed to get three phone numbers in Canada and the names of all the callers.

Evidence was handed over to officers at Wiltshire fraud squad this week and the crime-fighting pensioner spoke to the Canadian High Commissioner.

Mrs Anderson says she became suspicious when a caller asked her to pay £1,000 cash into a bank account before she could access the winnings.

After phoning her bank to tell them about the Canadian callers and her evidence Bette was put straight through to the fraud squad.

DC Andy Cook, of Wiltshire Police's fraud squad, said: "Elderly people are particularly vulnerable to these scams. We hear from two or three victims a month."

Anyone receiving a suspicious phone call or letter should call the Office of Fair Trading on 020 7211 8111.