CONMEN posing as police officers have again targeted vulnerable elderly folk in Wyre Forest.

West Mercia Police received three reports from across the district yesterday (August 1) in which tricksters pretending to be from the force called older residents telling them of fraudulent activity going on with their bank accounts.

The scammers then ask them to withdraw it and hand over to a visiting ‘officer’ for safe keeping until the issue is resolved.

Police say the number of such incidents is on the increase and have written to banks in Wyre Forest to urge them to look out for elderly folk withdrawing huge sums of their savings out and ask them their reasons for doing so.

In the first incident, an Arley couple – aged in their 90s - withdrew £6,500 ready to hand over to a conman who visited their address.

Fortunately, they got suspicious and refused to hand over the cash before calling the police.

In the second case, a couple in Cookley were asked to withdraw £3,500 but didn’t after speaking to a relative. Finally, the con artists aborted their attempt at tricking an elderly woman in Oldington after getting frustrated with her.

Last month, the Shuttle reported how a 79-year-old Cookley woman had been tricked out of £4,500. Police have been running Operation Prospero to investigate scams such as this.

Inspector Jake Wright, of Wyre Forest Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “The harm being caused to the confidence in trust in policing is significant.

“What makes these offences particularly upsetting is that offenders are calling victims on landline telephones purporting to be police officers and then encouraging them, with some success, to withdraw and hand over significant sums of money for ‘safekeeping’.

“The victims are told to tell no-one about the investigation, including their banks, for fear of being prosecuted.”

He added: “The message we’ve been trying to get out far and wide is that the police, banks or any other reputable organisation will never ask anyone to handover money.

“We will never call anyone and ask them to withdraw money. Your bank or building society is the safest place for your money.

“If anyone is concerned the may be being targeted they need to hang up immediately and call police.”