A Ross-on-Wye resident told the Ross Gazette that she received a telephone call this afternoon (Wednesday, January 27th) from a man with a London accent, pretending to be a police officer.

The woman told the Gazette that the call came from a withheld number. The man on the phone told her that he was calling from the Metropolitan Police, and was calling to let her know that £1000 had been withdrawn from her account. He did not give her his name, rank or number, which aroused her suspicion.

When she told him she did not believe him, he said her card had been used to withdraw £250 from a cashpoint in Hammersmith. He then proceeded to ask her questions about her bank account, and when she asked him why he was really calling, he hung up the phone.

She went into her bank to check there was no money missing from her account. She discovered no money had been stolen, and came into the Ross Gazette office, hoping to make people aware of the situation; she worried that other members of the community might receive similar phone calls, and she feared that some people would fall for the man’s scam and proceed to divulge details about their bank account.

West Mercia police have received a number of reports in recent months, about incidents such as this one. Detective Chief Inspector Tim Bower said: "West Mercia Police take these scams extremely seriously. The scammers will often target those who are elderly and vulnerable, having a hugely detrimental impact even if they are unsuccessful in obtaining money. The scammers will try a number of different tactics and we’d ask you to share the following advice, particularly with any elderly friends or relatives.

"Never hand out any personal details over the phone. Remember that the genuine police or the banks, would never ask for your PIN, ask you to transfer money to them or send a courier to collect your cards.

"If you do receive a call like this please hang up immediately and call 101 from a different phone. If there is a crime in progress, please call 999."