People living in Exeter are being warned to watch out for a scam after an elderly couple were nearly tricked out of several pounds of their savings.
The couple, who live in the Pennsylvania area of the city, received an unsolicited call last week from a drainage company claiming to be working for Exeter City Council.
The caller arranged a visit to the property and claimed to have obtained video footage of their drains, showing pictures of tree roots that needed removing immediately, at the cost of several thousand pounds.
The couple agreed for the ‘works’ to be carried out the following day but when a relative was told about this, they tried to cancel the appointment.
The City Council confirmed that they had no knowledge of the call and that the company involved was not working on behalf of the Council.
It warned people to beware of scams and to report incidents to Action Fraud and the police on 101. If in doubt, always verify with the Council directly.

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