AN MP is urging victims of a Santander bank scam to come forward after constituents lost £280,000 last month.

The professional couple, who wish to remain anonymous, fell prey to an ‘authorised push payment’ scam on July 12 and approached Lesley Laird, MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, for help.

Lesley said: “This is a particularly shocking case and clearly demonstrates that these criminals won’t think twice about stealing someone’s entire life savings.

“Moreover, I’m led to believe that this incident could be just one of a number of similar frauds which took place in the Kirkcaldy area in recent months.

“I’m urging other victims who have not yet contacted the police to come forward and report it now.”

The fraudsters contacted the couple using a text which appeared on a genuine Santander message thread, asking the recipient to call back and verify recent transactions on their accounts.

The victim was persuaded to stay on the line and authorise the transfer of fourteen cash instalments, worth up to £20k each, to a fraudulent account set up in her name.

The criminals banked a total of £278,000 – the couple’s entire pension fund - in just over an hour.

Added the MP: “If you are ever in doubt of the authenticity of someone claiming to be contacting you from your bank, do not be afraid to query them and never give out any personal details unless you are sure you are speaking with the legitimate company".