A 71-YEAR-OLD man from Galashiels has been defrauded a five-figure sum of cash in a telephone scam.

On Wednesday the man received a call claiming to be from his bank.

The caller claimed that the his internet banking had been hacked and requested that money be transferred to an alternative account to safeguard it.

A five-figure sum of cash was moved to an account provided by the caller who then terminated the call.

When the victim later suspected he had been defrauded he contacted his bank who confirmed they had not contacted him and the police were called.

Detective Sergeant Callum Peoples from Galashiels CID said: "In these type of scams the caller will seem very convincing and will utilise a number of different tactics to convince you they are genuine.

"However, we want to stress once again that no bank or building society will ever contact you and ask you to transfer money to an external account, nor will they cold-call and request you provide your personal information.

"If you receive a call like this, hang up and make sure the line has been cleared and contact police immediately.

"We have a range of useful information on our website aimed at safeguarding the public against fraudsters. This can be obtained by visiting www.scotland.police.uk."