POLICE are appealing for help after a 90-year-old pensioner was defrauded of £3,500 while driving in Redditch.
The senior citizen, from Solihull, was driving his red Suzuki car along the Warwick Highway when he was flagged down by the driver of a black Alfa Romeo.
This driver claimed the victim had caused a collision at a previous junction and damaged his car.
He handed the victim a phone claiming it was his insurance company and the person at the end of the phone wanted to speak to him.
The person who claimed to be from his insurers told the victim he would lose his licence but if he paid the owner of the allegedly damaged car £3,500 in cash the claim wouldn’t go forward and he would not be banned and keep his licence.
The Alfa Romeo driver then accompanied the victim to a branch of Halifax Bank in Redditch town centre where the victim withdrew the full amount requested and handed it over to the suspect.
The fraudster, pictured above, is white, in his 40s, 6ft tall, well-built and was wearing a blue jacket.
The incident happened at 2.15pm on Friday, January 17 and police are now appealing for help.
Detective Constable Dan Griffiths said: “This disgusting exploitation of a vulnerable man in his 90s was carried out in broad daylight and I would ask anyone who was in the area at the time to please come forward and let us know if you witnessed the incident or captured any footage on your vehicle’s dash cam.
“Equally, this individual and any accomplices need to be caught so I would urge the public to have a good look the man in the photo and please let us know if you recognise him or know his name.
“I believe this man to be responsible for several other of these types of very distressing ‘car crash scams’ which resulted in other elderly victims paying over large sums of money.
“These individuals are cowards, targeting the elderly and the vulnerable in a scenario where they are shaken up, scared, pressured and then conned and any help the public can offer in this investigation will be greatly appreciated. Please call 101 and quote crime number 22/7056/20.”
Alternatively, information can be passed to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
