A cheeky Scots pensioner has gone viral after spending lockdown winding up cold callers.
Jim Potts, from Kilmarnock, who has been shielding during the pandemic decided to turn his daily bogus calls ‘into a bit of fun’ by filming himself pranking fraudsters.
The funny man answers calls from the phone scammers and pretends to be duped into the conversation before keeping the chancer on the line for as long as possible and making a fool of them.
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Spurred on by his online fans, he has set up YouTube account with his wife Joanne Potts so they can document their tricks.
In one video, switched on Jim pretends to to struggle with using his laptop before stringing the frustrated caller along for so long they hang up.
In another video he is seen making up a ridiculous story about slipping in dog poo after a cold caller offers personal injury compensation for an accident.
Jim told the Daily Record: “I get these calls every day and I just got so sick of them, I wanted to tell them to bugger off.
“I have been shielding in lockdown and can’t get out much so being a bit bored and stuck in the house I thought I would have a bit of fun with it.
“With nothing else really going on now it is the enjoyment of my life.
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“They normally phone saying they are from Amazon or I need to pay out for my national insurance number.
“They are always asking for your bank details trying to take money off pensioners, it’s evil people doing it.
“They threaten you with jail and all sorts if you don’t pay out which can worry some people but I won’t fall for it.
“That’s why I just make a fool out of them and have a joke, they don’t get it but the people watching my videos do.
“I pretend I don’t know how to work my computer, or I make up stories like I jumped out the window and slipped in dog sh** and all sorts.
Despite uploading videos for the past two years has only been the best few months his content has suddenly gone viral.
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He started uploading more videos throughout lockdown and now has around 5,000 subscribers with some videos reaching almost 500,000 views.
He continued: “I get my wife Joanne to record me when I pick up the phone and make stuff up when they call.
“My wife has a great sense of humour as well she is dead witty so sometimes we are doubled over laughing about the calls.”
He explained: “I was getting loads of views and comments and notifications during lockdown.
“We really just do it for fun and to wind up the callers but it’s great people are enjoying it.
“Most folk hate when the house phone rings because it is going to be a scammer, but now I love it.”
One fan commented: “My sides are splitting I absolutely love this!”
A second fan commented: “I have to say you do have a talent to take a revenge on these filthy scammers who may have preyed on millions of vulnerable citizens.”
A third fan commented: “This guy deserves a gold medal, he’s bloody hilarious.”
A fourth fan commented: “It is always good to wind up and waste scammers time.”
A fifth fan commented: “You Sir are a legend.”
It comes after Action Fraud just issued another warning to the public about a National Insurance scam sweeping the country, after it received over 34,000 more calls last month when compared to February 2020.
Fraudsters are also targeting vulnerable Scots with a coronavirus phone scam by posing as a caller from NHS Test and Protect.
The criminals are cold-calling potential victims and claim to be a member of the NHS service.
Targets are told they are receiving the call because they have been identified as having been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.