OLDER people have been warned to be wary of bogus phone callers claiming to be from Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.

Age Cymru and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water are teaming up to warn older people after reports that scammers have been trying to con people into handing over their their bank details.

The scammers call and pretend that they can organise cheaper bills and ask for financial details, claiming they can secure refunds but need an account to send the money to.

“Older people are particularly trusting and can be naive, especially when the caller sounds informed and authoritative,” said Gerry Keighley of Age Cymru.

“But if they give their bank or credit card details they can find their accounts are emptied very rapidly.

“This is the latest phone scam we’ve heard of but they all involve similar methods - scammers pose as someone in authority then ask for financial details.

“Our advice is never to give these details over the phone to anyone, even to people claiming to be from banks or the police.”

A Dwr Cymru Welsh Water spokesman said: "These calls are not from D?r Cymru Welsh Water and this is a scam.

“Anyone who receives a call and is concerned about the identity of someone who says they are calling on behalf of D?r Cymru Welsh Water should not provide any personal information until they have confirmed the identity of the caller.

“The best way to do this is by taking the name of the caller and calling us on 0800 052 0145 to check their identity.

“If you believe you have been a victim of these bogus callers, then you should report it immediately to the police at Action Fraud on 0300 1232 040.”

Age Cymru’s ‘Scams and swindles’ campaign is calling for more protection for older people from criminals who ruthlessly steal from them through a variety of scams and swindles.

For more information visit www.agecymru.org.uk/scamsandswindles