A Tendring couple have told of their anguish after their bank account was cleared out
A thief managed to get hold of their private PIN number to raid their account.
The pair did not want to be named, but are desperate to warn others of the danger
Their plea comes after the Evening Gazette revealed a similar incident had happened to a woman staying at an Essex hotel.
"My wife had an identical phone call from a man claiming to be from our bank," said the man.
"He too, said someone that afternoon was trying to access our account and if she told him what the PIN card number was he would deal with it straight away.
"In the panic of things she gave out our PIN number believing this to be a genuine call, all to be proven wrong later," he added.
Later that day the woman was left distraught after bank officials told her their account had been cleared of all funds that afternoon.
Her husband said: "Please may I warn women in particular - who seem to be the primary target of these thieves that it is your handbag and the contents within it that start the ball rolling."
Calvin Heal, crime reduction officer for Tendring, said that under no circumstances should anyone give out their PIN to anyone.
A spokesman for Barclays Bank said: "A bank would never, under any circumstances, ring a customer and ask for their PIN number. It should not be given out to anyone."
Published Monday, April 14, 2003
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