A PENSIONER who lost thousands of pounds after being targeted by cruel fraudsters has shared his experiences in the hope of helping other victims.

The 88-year-old, who has health and memory issues, was recently helped by Darlington Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) after being scammed a number of times in his own home.

He was initially approached by a doorstep tradesman who offered to repair his roof for £1,500, but did not complete the work.

Later he let a person into his home to use the upstairs toilet, who instead stole valuables from his bedroom, and was also offered solar panels at a cost of £60 per month, which would take him ten years to make a profit.

He was then asked to join a lottery and had multiple payments taken from his account before realising £3,500 had gone.

His experiences have been shared by Darlington CAB as they launch a new campaign as part of Scams Awareness Month, which begins today (Wednesday, July 1).

With less than five per cent of victims reporting scams to authorities, the organisation is encouraging people to report suspicious activity, get advice if they think they have been conned, and warn others to help stop scams spreading.

Milly Stoney, social policy coordinator at Darlington CAB, said: “Scams thrive on silence. Fraudsters know that victims are often too ashamed to share what happened to them, meaning that scams can continue to spread unchecked.

“We’re urging people to lift the lid on scams and start talking about suspicious email, junk mail, online ads or door-to-door sellers operating in their area.”

During Scams Awareness Month, people are being told to not be rushed or hushed when they receive an unsolicited approach, or when looking for goods and services.

Neeraj Sharma, chief executive for Darlington CAB, said: “Scams are run by professional con artists and it can be very hard to know what to look out for.

“Our advice is that if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you’re contacted out of the blue be on your guard, and never give your bank details out unless you are certain you know who the person is, and that you can trust them.”

Dawn Gill, social advice service manager, added: “At the bureau we find that some people do not realise they have been scammed until it is too late.

“I work with a team of people who meet monthly to discuss issues that are raised by clients and we research and campaign to make changes. If you have been scammed let us know and we can highlight an issue in the community and take reasonable steps to try to stamp it out.”

To report a scam call Action Fraud on 0300-123-2040. To contact Darlington CAB call 03454-040506 or visit darlingtoncab.co.uk