An elderly woman lost £2,400 after two men pretending to be roofers defrauded her.
The workmen had allegedly spoken to the victim’s neighbour’s house for 20 minutes when they started a conversation with the victim and persuaded her that she needed work done on her chimney breast.
They claimed that her roof needed some work doing and they could offer a good price to fix it for her.
The persistent men offered to do the necessary work for £6,000, but dropped the price down which she agreed to. Once payment was made the men left the scene and no work was completed.
Neighbourhood Inspector Nick Butler said: “This was a despicable crime carried out by somebody who deliberately preyed on vulnerable people.
“We are warning the Mansfield community to be on their guard following the incident which has left the woman out of pocket.
“She rang police after two men did some work on her neighbour’s house and following a discussion she transferred the payment to do some work on her property. Once payment had been made, they got in their van and drove off as speed.
“The victim is clearly deeply upset having lost such a significant money.
“She felt intimated and in the end she accepted and paid via a bank transfer.
“Officers were called to Oak Tree Lane in Mansfield at around 11am on Wednesday (26 May).
“The neighbourhood team are trawling through CCTV footage, as well as conducting door to door enquiries. The police are also helping the woman try to see if she can get a refund through her bank and support her welfare.
“We are investigating what happened as a priority and would like to speak to anybody who saw anyone acting suspicious in the area.
“I would also urge other people living in the area – especially those who are vulnerable – to be vigilant. If you are concerned about somebody then please call the police at the earliest opportunity.”