Pensioner in 80s conned out of hundreds by cruel fraudsters A PENSIONER conned out of his hard-earned cash by cruel fraudsters has praised officers for their rapid response and friendly advice. Last month police received a report an 85-year-old man had been targeted by scammers who pretended they were Microsoft technicians, calling to help fix his software problems. The man, who lives in South Tyneside, had been having issues with his computer, and so spent three hours on the phone to the con-artists, granting them remote access to his system. By the end of the call, he had been conned out of £700 and 800 Euros, and a number of his passwords compromised.