POLICE are warning the public to be aware of a telephone scam that is in operation, following five incidents of attempted fraud that took place last week.

All five instances, on November 11, included members of the public receiving a call from somebody claiming to be a police officer.

The caller, a man, then tried to use a number of tactics in an attempt to gain bank details and PIN numbers from the victims, such as claiming their card had been used to try and buy high value goods and their card had been found on an arrested person.

Fortunately, none of those who received the calls provided any of their personal or bank details to the cold caller.

Police are urging the public to remain vigilant in recognising these scams and to phone 101 or 999 if anything similar happens to them.

A list of hints and tips has been published by police which aims to help protect people from falling victim to telephone scams.

It includes never giving your PIN or bank card to anyone, police and banks will never ask for your PIN or bank card, and if any call feels suspicious, hang up and call the police on 999 from another phone, or 101.

Other adviuce includes making sure to let at least five minutes go by after receiving a suspicious call before using your phone again to ensure the fraudsters are no longer on the line.

West Mercia Police are currently investigating these incidents and urge anyone with information to call them on 101, quoting one of the incident numbers 211s, 179s, 159s, 147s or 135s of Tuesday 11 November.

Anyone who has been a victim of fraud can report it to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre, by calling 0300 1232040 or by visiting actionfraud.police.uk.