A bank called the police after an elderly woman attempted to withdraw almost £5,000 to pay for roof repairs. The woman, who is in her 70s, had been charged £4,850 to replace a number of tiles at her property. Two men were reportedly waiting for her outside her home in a van, police said.
Suspicious staff at the bank called police on Monday, April 20, and officers were sent to a property off Bridgnorth Road in Wombourne. A 25-year-old man, from Shrewsbury, and a 17-year-old boy, from Gloucester, were later arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation. The pair have since been released on conditional bail, a spokesperson for Staffordshire Police said.
Police Statement
They added: "Two men have been arrested on suspicion of fraud offences after an elderly woman almost paid around £5,000 for an alleged roof repair. We were called at 1.20pm on Monday (April 20) to a property off Bridgnorth Road in Wombourne following reports of suspicious activity."
"The victim, a woman in her 70s, attended a bank and attempted to withdraw £4,850 in cash to give to men to replace roof tiles. The bank alerted us to what had happened and said the men were waiting for the victim in a van outside of her property."
"Officers immediately attended the address and two people were arrested a short time later. A 25-year-old man, from Shrewsbury, and a 17-year-old boy, from Gloucester, have each been arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation."
"They have been placed on conditional police bail while our inquiries continue. Anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area at the time should call us on 101 or use Live Chat on our website, quoting incident number 379 of 20 April."
How to Report Fraud
To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Police urge anyone concerned about potential fraud to call 101, use Live Chat on the website, or dial 999 in an emergency. For information on how to protect yourself from scammers, visit the Staffordshire Police website.
