Warning to businesses after ‘very believable’ scam call

A business owner has warned others to be vigilant after a “very believable” scam call.

Lynette Smith, who owns the Aald Harbour Bed and Breakfast on Lerwick’s Church Road, made the warning on Facebook after receiving a call from someone pretending to be a court bailiff.

She said she was told they were on their way to her property to collect an HMRC debt of £483, and said she would have to pay another £400 to a locksmith who was heading to the bed and breakfast also.

“They were apparently in South Road on their way to Church Road,” she said.

“I was driving at time on speaker, [they] asked me to pull over and phone office to pay debt then they would meet me at [my] address to serve me paperwork.”

Ms Smith said that she had told them there was “no possible way we could owe anything”, and the caller had realised that she “wasn’t going to play ball”.

She added that she was “absolutely raging” and felt “a bit stupid”, but said that the scam had been “very believable”.