An Islington pensioner tricked a group of conmen who tried to fleece her out of £4,000.

The woman, in her 80s, had a call from a man claiming to be a police officer. He convinced her that her card had been cloned and that she needed to withdraw £2,000 to help the investigation.

Her suspicions were aroused when a plain clothes “officer” collected the money but didn’t provide a receipt. She alerted police.

She then received another call from an “officer” requiring a further £2,000. Before he arrived, the actual police waited at the scene and arrested the two suspects. The woman was able to recover the cash.

Jan Hart, Islington Council’s director of public protection, said: “Thanks to this lady’s quick thinking, two suspects were caught, but such stories don’t always end well. On average, victims lose around £2,500.

“The best thing for residents is to learn how to spot a scam and report it to stop it. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to call the 24/7 ASB reporting line on 0207 527 7272.”

As part of Scam Awareness Month, Islington Council and Citizens Advice Bureau staff will be providing residents with free information on how to spot and stop scams. Events at Nags Head and Archway are planned for later in the month.

For more information, visit islington.gov.uk/scams