A MUM from Thornbury has warned fellow residents in the town to be aware of prank callers after she avoided being caught out by a phone scam.

Liz Wood, 59, was at home on Wednesday, July 26, when she received a call from a woman claiming to be the manager of Tesco in Bradley Stoke, where she regularly shops.

The caller claimed that they were celebrating 50 years and that she had won a £50 gift voucher.

Initially excited by the prospect, Mrs Wood then began to realise this call was not as genuine as it appeared, not least due to the fact the store had been open nowhere near that long.

Alarm bells also rang as she knew the manager of the store to be a man.

The caller proceeded to ask Mrs Wood a number of questions including her age, but eventually she was able to make her excuses and put the phone down.

Out of curiosity, Mrs Wood’s daughter Helen then decided to phone the number back, to find that it did not exist.

Mrs Wood said: “I thought it was a bit strange, as I had to check with her that it was Tesco and the Bradley Stoke store she was referring to.

“She asked how old I was and when I told her she said I had a beautiful voice for that age. That is not something one would expect to hear someone say.

“After that short conversation with her I put the phone down as I knew it was yet another prank phone call.

“The call sounded very convincing but it was an absolute con to say the least.”

Warning other residents to be on their guard, she said: “I would advise anyone who gets a call like this to be very wary and not to give them any personal details.

“People probably are also receiving similar calls elsewhere and possibly being taken in by them.

“If I hadn’t hung up when I did, who knows what the next question I would have been asked.”

A spokesman for Tesco confirmed to the Gazette that no such promotion was being run at the time and that they could not account for the phone call.