A pensioner has sounded the alarm after scammers posed as IT professionals and conned him out of £4,000 during one telephone call.

The imposters convinced Harold Richardson, of Folkestone, into believing his computer was infected with a virus and offered to help.

But after the 75-year-old handed over sensitive information and allowed the thieves remote computer access they drained £4,000 from his bank account.

Speaking of the anxiety and stress he was forced to endure, Mr Richardson said: “In July I received a call from someone pretending to be from Microsoft who informed me that my computer had malware installed and that they needed access to fix it.

“They were very convincing, playing on a common issue to get me to grant them access to my computer.

“Thus, I gave them access to all of my personal information, including email passwords and online banking details.

“The scam cost me £4,000 in total, most of which I did eventually get back.

“However, this took a lot of time and energy and caused me a great deal of anxiety and stress.”

Mobile phone scams continue to be a widespread issue, with 5.7 million Brits targeted by a mobile phone scammer 10 or more times, according to new research by comparison service Uswitch.

The older generation is the most concerned about receiving messages from unknown numbers, which is unsurprising as those aged 65+ receive on average 295 cold and potentially suspicious calls a year.

More than a third (36%) of Brits say they have lost money due to a mobile phone scam.

A spokesman for Kent County Council (KCC) stressed computer firms do not make unsolicited phone calls requesting sensitive information.

“Half of all scams start with a phone call and vulnerable residents in Kent receive over 55 nuisance calls per month and over half of them are from criminals,” they said.

“These fraudsters often use the names of well-known companies to commit their crime, as it provides a mask of legitimacy.”

The authority says its intelligence shows people in Kent are being targeted by so-called computer companies who tell you there is a fault or a virus on your computer.

“They offer to fix the problem over the phone for a small fee,” they added.

“Of course, there isn't a fault or virus and you have given away your bank details to a stranger.

“One consumer agreed to pay £19 for the 'trader' to fix the problem, but they took £319.

“Computer firms do not make unsolicited phone calls to help you fix your computer.”

Simrat Sharma, mobiles expert at Uswitch said scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, from AI voice cloning to video deepfakes – they are computer generated videos designed to help scammers extort money.

“Thus makes it more difficult than ever for consumers to spot them and stay protected,” said Ms Sharma.

“People of all ages should be vigilant when answering unexpected calls and never share personal or financial information over the phone if you do not know the caller.”

County hall advises residents to avoid giving out telephone numbers unnecessarily and ticking you do not want to be contacted with promotional material when signing contracts.

The authority also advises to go ex-directory, check call blocking facilities and consider buying a call blocker device.