Bank prevents elderly man from being conned by locking him inside

Screen grab of bank surveillance video Photo: Chinese Business Morning News

A bank in Northeast China was forced to lock an elderly customer attempting to transfer money inside its doors for half an hour in fear he was the target of a telephone scam on January 6.

Employees at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) branch in Shenyang, Liaoning province suspected the man was being conned over the telephone despite his insistence he was sending money to a friend.

One staffer smelled something fishy when he noticed the man was struggling to send 20,000 yuan ($3304) through an ATM machine and was receiving instructions over the phone.

When Ding Zhaomin, the ICBC branch manager, stepped in and pressed 'cancel,' the alleged con artist instructed the elderly man to keep away from the bank staff and go to another bank.

In order to prevent him from leaving the premises, Ding ordered employees to roll down the metal security doors and to call police.

Ding told reporters he became suspicious when he noticed the alleged grafter, who spoke with a southern accent, was calling from Shanghai but provided an account number in Beijing.