OLDER people’s charity Age Cymru is warning of a new telephone scam that is being aimed specifically at former miners.
Under the new scam, the caller tells the ex-miner that his pension may be increased under new government rules if he sends off a £200 fee for his claim to be investigated.
The charity is urging elderly people to put the phone down without further discussion if they should receive a call like this.
Age Cymru is running its Scams and Swindles campaign, which calls for better protection for older people from criminals who steal from them using a variety of methods and tactics.
Telephone scams are one of the most common forms of scam in Wales.
Gerry Keighley, campaigns co-ordinator for Age Cymru, said there were almost 2,500 scams reported to Trading Standards in Wales in 2012-13, but these figures are likely to be vastly under-reported.
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