A man was conned out of almost £30,000 by a scammer pretending to be from his bank.

The 50-year-old, from Cupar, Fife, was called by the fraudster on January 11.

The caller, who pretended to be a staff member at his bank, claimed the man's account had been compromised while using software which made it appear as if he was calling from an official number.

The man was then convinced to transfer £29,000 into the scammer's account for safekeeping.

Police are investigating the theft and warning others to be aware of these types of phone scams, known as vishing.

Detective chief inspector Scott Cunningham said: "These scammers claim to be from legitimate organisations and try to frighten or pressure people into revealing personal details or banking information.

"Never give such information or transfer money to an unexpected caller and, although anyone can fall victim to this, please warn elderly or vulnerable friends or relatives in particular to be wary this type of scam.

"If you receive such a call, advise the caller that you will contact the company on your own terms and hang up immediately."