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John Donald told BBC Scotland his wife feared he was having a nervous breakdown

By David Cowan

Home affairs correspondent, BBC Scotland

Entrepreneur John Donald sells robotic falcons around the world but still can't believe that he fell victim to cyber-crime during the pandemic.

The tech-savvy grandfather said he was he was targeted by fraudsters when his family business was struggling to cope with a 95% fall in its turnover.

The 72-year-old was deeply suspicious but eventually caved in to their demands and transferred nearly £100,000 to a fake bank account.

He told BBC Scotland: "When my wife came through the door just at the end of this process, she thought I was having a nervous breakdown.

"It was very, very stressful. I wouldn't wish it on anybody."

New figures released by Police Scotland show there has been a 68% increase in fraud since 2018, with 17,000 cases recorded last year - the vast majority online.

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