TWO SCAMMERS tried to con a man in his 80s out of £600 by faking a car crash in Bromsgrove around 3.45pm on Tuesday.
It happened on Buntsford Hill when the pensioner drove past a parked car and heard a loud bang.
The man standing by the car ran after the victim’s vehicle and shouted for him to stop.
He pulled over and got out and when he went over to the car, which was on foreign registration plates, found it had substantial damage to the side and wing mirror.
He checked his own car and there was not a mark on it which aroused suspicion.
But the two fraudsters who had foreign accents – one’s English was better than the other’s – convinced him to pay £600 for the damage.
The three of them went to the cash point at Morrisons and the man withdrew £500, the maximum it would allow, and offered it to the pair.
They refused to accept it and said they would accompany him to Bromsgrove town centre so he could go to the bank.
After parking up in Windsor Street, the pensioner and the two fraudsters went to Lloyds which was just about to close.
When the man went into the bank the staff there got suspicious and the plot was foiled, forcing the two con-men to flee the scene.
The man’s son contacted The Standard to warn other people about the ruse.
He said: “It’s clearly a cold-hearted scam that most people would not allow to happen but there could be some people out there who would fall for it.
“I don’t want anyone else caught out by these scammers.”
Witnesses or anyone with any information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
