Pensioners conned out of £25,000 by fraudster attempting to pay off 'massive drug debt'
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A 28-year-old fraudster has been jailed for 18 months after scamming an elderly couple out of £25,000 in a Virgin Money bank scam.
Paul McEnhill, from Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, targeted Thomas Docherty, 73, and Margaret Baillie, 82, tricking them into transferring thousands of pounds.
The con artist posed as the head of Virgin Money's CID department, claiming money had been stolen from their accounts.
McEnhill instructed Docherty to make transactions to help identify a supposed rogue employee.
Pensioners conned out of £25,000 by fraudster attempting to pay off 'massive drug debt'
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The scam, which took place in October 2022, resulted in McEnhill obtaining a total of £24,140 from the pensioners before bank staff became suspicious and alerted the police.
McEnhill's scam began when he first told Docherty that £5,000 had been stolen from his account and instructed him to transfer £4,900 to catch the supposed thief.
The fraudster then claimed Baillie's account had been compromised, convincing Docherty to transfer an additional £9,500.
McEnhill went to great lengths to appear legitimate, providing a fake CID number and even giving Docherty a working PIN to access internet banking.
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The scammer remained on the phone with his victims during transactions, pressuring them to comply despite Baillie's poor health.
Bank staff at the Rutherglen branch of Virgin Money grew suspicious of the large transactions in quick succession.
They recognised Docherty and refused the transfer, alerting the branch manager who called 999.
Police were able to track down McEnhill after discovering he had used his own bank details for one of the transfers.
The scam, which took place in October 2022, resulted in McEnhill obtaining a total of £24,140 from the pensioners
PA
At Hamilton Sheriff Court, McEnhill pleaded guilty to the fraud.
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The court heard that £9,500 has since been returned to Docherty.
Virgin Money declined to comment on the incident when approached.
At Hamilton Sheriff Court, McEnhill pleaded guilty to the fraud.
His defence lawyer, Eamonn McGeehan, stated: "He had a massive drug debt and was invited to become involved in this scheme as a way to clear the outstanding debt."
Sheriff John Speir deemed imprisonment the only suitable option, condemning the 'callous and calculated' scheme.
He told McEnhill: "You engaged in a callous and calculated scheme to deprive elderly victims out of their savings, so much so that the consequences for them were the impact on their mental health and their financial situation."
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