A WOMAN has told of her shock at being subjected to sexual taunts by a phone scammer who told her he was waiting outside her house.

The Weymouth resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, has spoken to the Echo in a bid to warn others after the conman became aggressive when she didn’t fall for his lies.

As reported, a number of people across the area have been conned in recent weeks.

One of the scams reported to police is a fraudster purporting to be from Microsoft who says a virus has attacked the potential victim’s computer and they must gain access to fix it.

The woman said she received one such call last week.

“He said he was from Microsoft and that I had a nasty virus on my PC.

“Then he gave me a name and asked me to confirm whether it was me, and it wasn’t,” she said.

“But then he said: ‘If you start up your PC I can help you’.

“So I replied: ‘If I start up my computer you will do your damndest to take everything I have.’”

She said this is when the conversation turned nasty, with the man giving sexual threats and saying he was waiting outside her home.

The woman says she didn’t respond, but left the phone on the side and eventually the man swore before hanging up the phone.

“I wasn’t shaken, but if they target some poor elderly lady, what a terrible shock she would have.

“Obviously if these scammers are being challenged they’re changing their approach and becoming nasty.

“Imagine if you’re an elderly or vulnerable person and you get a call like that.

“I almost wish the police or someone would make posters and put them up so that people are aware.

“Yes, you hear about scams but people are still being conned, it doesn’t seem as if the message is getting through.”

The woman has reported the offensive phone call to the police and Action Fraud, which brings scammers to justice.

An Action Fraud spokesman said: “This call has shifted from an attempted scam, into harassment, and this is a criminal offence.

“In this case the best thing to do would be to hang up and call the local police on 101.

“This is the non-emergency number, and the call could be escalated to 999 if required.

“The police can authorise the phone service to trace malicious calls.

“It is very unlikely although possible that the caller knows where the person lives, or would be waiting outside. Fraudsters use this tactic to scare the person at the end of the phone into sending money, or divulging personal details.”