West Mercia Police officers have issued a warning this afternoon following reports of fraudsters targeting the elderly in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said:
We have seen a recent increase in telephone fraudsters claiming to be from various police services across the country. They often target the old and vulnerable.
Scams include:
– A phone caller pretending to be a police officer who is investigating corrupt bank staff, or a bank investigating its own staff.
– The phone caller will tell the victim their account has been subject to such a fraud and that they must cooperate with the ‘investigation’.
– The victim is then persuaded to withdraw funds and hand them over to the ‘investigators’, either by some remote means or in person to a courier.
– Alternatively the victim may be asked to hand over bank cards, vouchers or other valuable items. They may also be asked to transfer funds to another account, which is controlled by the fraudsters.
If you think it may be a scam – provide no details and hand nothing over, hang up and report it immediately to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040.
Please pass this message on by sharing on social media, telling friends, family and neighbours,
