Police investigating fraud case after elderly woman left more than £1,000 out of pocket

Police are investigating a fraud case after an elderly woman was left more than £1,000 out of pocket.

On Tuesday 7 November, police were called to a house on Higginshaw Lane, Royton to reports that a woman in her late 60s had been conned out of a large amount of money around 10.30am that morning.

She was approached at her house by three men who told her that the guttering on her house was blocked and they could clean it out for her for £200.

Throughout the morning, the cost of the job escalated to £1,200 but on receiving the cash, the three men left the property without carrying out the work, telling the woman they had to go back to the office.

They never returned.

Officers investigating the case want to speak to three men dressed in high visibility clothing who were in the area around the time of the incident.

Detective Constable Madaleine Atherton of GMP’s Oldham Borough, said: “I am in no doubt that the offenders preyed on this woman’s vulnerability, identifying her as an easy target for a quick win.

“Our job is to protect those who are most vulnerable in our society and bring those responsible for causing harm to justice, which is why I need the help of the public to identify those responsible so we can speak to them.

“With partner agencies, we are better able to understand the ways in which fraudsters operate and how we can infiltrate patterns of offending to prevent people’s hard earned cash being illegally taken from them.”

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 8999 quoting reference number 804 of 07/12/17 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.