Police identified an 81-year-old female victim from Wantirna two weeks ago.

According to police, the woman had deposited thousands of dollars into a foreign bank account over the past 12 months. The exact figure remains unclear.

Police believe the woman was targeted in the same scam that netted $70,000 from an 81-year-old Mitcham woman over 12 months.

Both women received phone calls from people who said they were entitled to a bank refund. The women were told they must deposit money into a Western Union bank account to receive the refund.

Police believe the accounts are linked to people working from India.

Whitehorse Detective Senior Constable John O’Dwyer said the victims were contacted through untraceable phone lines.

On February 3, MW reported that Whitehorse residents had lost nearly $200,000 to con artists.

Mitcham Senior Citizens’ Centre treasurer Vilma Patching said the trend was worrying. She said seniors should not be afraid to speak out if they felt they were being targeted.