Suspected fraudster arrested after bogus bank phone call to Maidstone pensioner
The victim was called several times by a man claiming to be a bank worker, telling her to hand over cash cards
A suspected phone scammer has been arrested in Maidstone following allegations he posed as a bank worker to steal money from a pensioner.
The man was detained near the victim’s address after she had received several phones calls from an unknown number and was instructed to hand over her bank cards.
Kent Police was initially alerted to suspicious activity at 4.40pm on Monday (15 September 2025), after a man claiming to work with Barclays Bank had contacted the victim and told her she had been a victim of fraud.
Aged in her 70s, it is alleged the woman was given instructions to follow which included arrangements for a ‘bank representative’ to attend her home and collect the cash cards.
Fast track enquiries led patrols to carry out searches in the Vinters Park area, where at 5.35pm a suspect was identified and arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation.
The man, aged 23 and from Hounslow, London, is currently bailed with conditions pending further investigation.
Police are reminding people to never give personal information in response to an incoming call, particularly if the caller is asking you to do something that will affect you financially.
The force say: "If you receive such a call end it immediately. Wait five minutes for the phone line to clear or call from a different number and contact the police by dialling 999.
Remember the ABC rule to help protect yourself and others against fraud – never Assume someone is telling the truth, never Believe what they say unless you are confident that they are who they say they are, and always Confirm the details they have provided."