A GLASGOW mum became involved in scamming a pensioner by letting organised criminals use her bank account.

Natalie Thornton, 37, appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court for sentencing this week after pleading guilty to acquiring £2400 worth of criminal property through a fraudulent bank transaction.

The court heard that the victim, an elderly woman, was in her home when she received a call on her landline on the afternoon of April 15, 2020.

A man on the phone told the woman that he was her bank manager and was querying about a large transaction from Tesco.

READ MORE: Man jailed after stealing from Tesco

The prosecutor said: “The witness stated she didn’t know anything about this. The male stated to protect her money she was required to transfer it into another account that had been set up.

“The witness was provided with bank details that matched the accused’s bank account. She was contacted several times to make sure she attended the bank to transfer the money.”

A total of £2400 was then transferred into Thornton’s account.

After returning home, the woman received another call to confirm she sent the money.

The following morning, Thornton attended Bank of Scotland’s Smithycroft Road branch in Riddrie, where she withdrew the £2400, after showing her photo ID.

After leaving the bank, she handed over the money to an unknown man.

Meanwhile, police had been contacted by the victim.

At 8pm on June 9, 2020, police from the investigation unit retrieved CCTV footage from the bank, which showed Thornton taking out the money.

Police showed up at her home on October 7, 2020, where she was cautioned and charged and made no reply.

Thornton’s lawyer explained that her client accepted full responsibility.

She said: “She understands she could have contacted police but felt like she had no alternative. She’s very apologetic and very sorry.”

The Cranhill woman appeared in court as a first offender.

Her lawyer added: “She has no previous convictions, it’s her first time in court and she’s very upset with herself that she’s ended up here.

“She’s been off work due to health issues, but she is starting back work next week.”

Sheriff Amel Elfallah told Thornton: “This is an extremely serious offence. I have heard what happened to the elderly complainer.

“I appreciate you took no part in the phone call, but you facilitated the scam.

“I sincerely hope you’ll never be in trouble again and you have learned your lesson. I'm prepared to deal with this by not sending you to custody.”

The sheriff ordered Thornton to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.