Fraudsters posing as GPs stole nearly £5,000 from an 83-year-old victim in an elaborate flu jab con.
In what is feared to be the start of a nationwide scam, they duped her into handing over her bank details during a phone call.
The housebound pensioner was called by someone who said they were from her GP surgery in Chelmsford, Essex.
He claimed the surgery had an arrangement with her GP to offer her a flu jab. As she was already waiting for one, she didn’t suspect anything was wrong.
The scammer already knew her name, date of birth and address and asked her to pay over the phone with a bank card.
Her daughter Lynne Brown, of Colchester, Essex, said: “The scammer gave her an appointment for a nurse to call and gave her a date and time and the name of the nurse.
It was all very believable and the caller was very charming. Then because my mum suffers from severe pain in her arms she asked if she could have the injection in her leg.
“She was told a special needle would be used but it would cost £1.50. They took the money out in seven instalments, totalling £4,800.” The money has now been refunded and the victim’s bank is investigating.
Essex trading standards is now warning people to watch out for phone scammers.
They said: “Doctors will not call to tell you they can’t provide your flu jab and ask for money.
“Our heart goes out to all victims of scams such as this.”
Some groups such over-65s, get free NHS jabs, but most pay.
The Government has ordered almost half a million extra adult flu vaccinations to be stockpiled in case of a no-deal Brexit.