GLOUCESTERSHIRE Police urged the wider public to be vigilant after £6,000 was stolen from an elderly woman in Cheltenham last week (w/c January 12), as part of courier fraud.

A woman in her 80s was called by scammers, who claimed they were police officers from the Met investigating a criminal transaction.

Officers believe other people in the county could now be targeted and are reminding family and friends to keep an eye on elderly and vulnerable loved ones.

A Neighbourhood Watch spokesperson said: “If you believe you are being targeted by a scammer, hang up the phone and use a different phone line to call Report Fraud or the police, as scammers have a way to stay on the line and will pretend to be the police when you call back.

“If you don't have access to a different phone line, wait at least 10 minutes, and try calling a family member or friend first to make sure the scammer is no longer on the line. Neither police nor bank officials will ever ask you to withdraw money from your account, purchase anything or hand over your personal details or passwords.

“Just because someone knows basic details about you like your name, address or date of birth, it doesn't mean they are genuine bank or police employees.”

In the latest scam, which took place earlier this month, the victim was told to withdraw money from her bank account before the scammers arranged to pick it up through a 'courier'.

The tactic followed a similar pattern to other fraud attempts around the UK, in which fraudsters claim to be police officers investigating corrupt staff at the victim's bank or fraudulent card activity.

They will often ask the victim to hang up and dial 999 to confirm they are speaking to a legitimate police officer. However, this is part of the scam as the phone line is kept open and the victim ends up talking to another fraudster, all of whom are in on the scam.

This tactic involves victims being asked to withdraw cash, which would then be collected by a fake police courier on the victim's doorstep, at another agreed location, or asked to send it to an address via post. Others are told to transfer funds into a fake police bank account.

The fraudsters are manipulative, and victims are often told to not tell their friends or family about them assisting with the bogus investigation.

The warning about this scam comes following last month’s report in The Forester which warned that fraudsters are using new sophisticated Artificial Intelligence tactics to scam shoppers.

Residents can access further advice on keeping themselves safe from fraud, via Gloucestershire Constabulary's website. Victims of fraud looking for help can find more information on Victim Support's website and can access Action Fraud’s website for details on how to report scams.

Police also reminded the wider public to dial 999 if they believe they are in immediate danger, or 101 for non-emergencies.