A student and a shopkeeper who stopped a man losing £500 in a scam have warned people to be alert.
Kashif Iqbal, 17, became suspicious when his dad’s friend rushed in claiming he had won £50,000 after receiving a call on his mobile phone.
The friend, who speaks little English, had been told to send cash by Western Union to a recipient in Oman before the ‘winnings’ could be released.
Kashif, a student at New College, had been reading the Examiner about similar scams and knew he had to act.
“I tried stopping my dad’s friend but he just wanted to transfer the money.”
Thankfully, Kashif managed to speak to Faiz Ur Rehman, the owner of Bridge News Corner in Longroyd Bridge, just as his dad’s friend was about to send the money on Saturday morning.
While inside the shop, the shopkeeper phoned the scammer who swore at him in Punjabi.
Faiz said: “People should use their common sense, check it out or get someone else to check it out. I called the number and they hung up. The second time they started swearing.”
Kashif said his dad’s friend eventually realised it was a con.
“He realised the money was going into the wrong hands. He was embarrassed. These criminals shouldn’t be given a single penny.”
In February Mohammed Khan, 24, who runs Salendine Nook Post Office, stopped a man from sending £2,300 via a MoneyGram to China.
And Shepley Post Office sub-postmaster John Gledhill says he’s prevented dozens of his customers from coughing up cash to conmen and women.
