SCAMMERS claiming to be calling on behalf of Colchester Council tried to sell a woman a security device.

The elderly woman, who asked to remain anonymous, received a call from a man asking if she was aware of a new £299 safety system the council was offering to homeowners.

She says she was told it could be switched on when she went away, tell her if an intruder had entered the building and would automatically contact the emergency services.

The woman said: “I don’t know if it was a means of getting into the house or whether it was just a means to get money.

“It’s very difficult to say.”

The woman received the call on Wednesday at 11.30am.

When she questioned if he was a genuine employee, the caller said all operators were fully trained and had been criminal records bureau-checked.

The caller then said they had a representative in the area and asked if they could pop around.

When she said no and asked if there was an appointment the following day so her husband could be there, they hung up.

She said: “It would sound to somebody who doesn’t know about this to be genuine.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of somebody else being taken in by this and losing £300, or being burgled as a result of this scam, which I believe would be quite likely.”

Colchester Council and Essex County Council said they did not run any such security scheme.

A spokesman for Colchester Council said no other reports had been made to the council.

Roger Walters, responsible for Trading Standards at Essex County Council, said: “Our Trading Standards team would always advise consumers not to agree to products or services over the phone via cold calls.”