A NEWPORT pensioner wants others in Gwent to be careful after a telephone scam tried to con her out of £100.

Barbara Evans was called by a man who claimed to be acting for the Ministry of Justice on Monday and told her she was entitled to claim back £2800 from bank charges that should not have been paid.

But when he asked her to go to premises on Chepstow Road and buy a £100 voucher to get it back, the 72-year-old grew wary.

"I said ‘what’s that for’?" the grandmother said. "He said I had been overcharged by the bank and for holidays and things like that, and that the Ministry of Justice wanted to give me the money back."

The man, who Mrs Evans said sounded Asian and called himself Mark, then said to go and buy the coupon.

"He said ‘can you ring me as soon as you get the voucher’ but he didn’t want any bank details or cash or a cheque," Mrs Evans added.

"I said ‘I’ll think about it’ but I knew it was a scam and I thought ‘they don’t give away £2800 for nothing’."

Mrs Evans put the phone down but ‘Mark’ called her straight back and became quite insistent, she said.

So when she refused a second time he slammed the phone down and she called the police, who referred the matter to Newport City Council.

Now she wants to make others aware of the caller and said: "I’d like to think I am saving somebody else from getting conned."

The Ministry of Justice website says fraudsters do try and steal money from consumers via telephone using its name.

But they have no connection with the department or the Office of Fair Trading, which is also quoted, it says and warns consumers not to divulge any details.

Newport City Council said others affected should contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.

Ministry staff are also available on 020 3334 3555 or by emailing queries@justice.gsi.gov.uk