An 83-year-old woman from Nicosia was scammed out of €650 by cold callers masquerading as doctors on Wednesday.

The woman said she received a telephone call to her landline at about 4pm on Wednesday from an “unknown man” asking for money to pay for surgery which the man said her grandson needed to undergo.

A few hours later, an unknown man visited her home and took the €650 in cash from the woman. Having later realised she had been scammed, the woman then called the police, who are now investigating the matter.

The police called on people to pay “special attention” to phone calls they receive, adding that such calls asking for money are “false” and “aimed at deceiving people and stealing money”.

They said people who receive such calls should immediately inform the police.