POLICE are urging people to be vigilant after a case of courier fraud in Herefordshire.

An elderly couple in Bromyard received a phonecall from an unknown man on Monday who identified himself as a sergeant from the Metropolitan Police.

He told the couple that a cloned copy of their credit card was being used in London before giving them a crime reference number and telling them they should withdraw all the money from their account and put it into a police account immediately.

The caller also stated that bank staff in Hereford and Leominster were under suspicion of being involved in the cloning offence so the victims should not tell them why they are withdrawing their money.

The same day, the couple withdrew money from their account and transferred it to an account given to them by the unknown caller.

Sadly, the couple did not realise this was a scam until they had spoken to a relative.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Philippa Conway said: "This is a despicable crime, in which the scammers target those who are vulnerable and elderly. The scammers are motivated by greed and will take advantage of the good nature of victims, by convincing them they are helping to solve a crime.

"We are cracking down on this crime and would urge people to be vigilant. Please remember your parents, grandparents or elderly friends or relatives could be targeted by these scammers, so please share the message with them and ensure they know how to avoid being a victim."

West Mercia Police says the police and banks would never ask for your PIN, send a courier to collect your bank card or ask you to leave cash in a public place.

The force is also advising against transferring money to an account of someone you don't know.