Residents are being warned to beware of phone scammers after two elderly Chorleywood residents were conned out of £15,000.

Officers in Three Rivers have been out in the community to speak with elderly residents following a series of phone scams across the district.

Since the beginning of February, police have received 15 reports of elderly people across the area being targeted.

In the majority of cases victims were called by people claiming to be police officers, investigating fraudulent activity on their bank accounts. Some were told that their details had been used to purchase electrical items, such as washing machines.

They were then asked to give their account details or withdraw cash and hand it over to a courier, under the pretence that it was part of the investigation and that it would be returned to them shortly.

Thankfully, the majority of people called refused to cooperate and hung up.

However in Chorleywood, an 83-year-old man was conned into handing over £10,000 while an 82-year-old woman was tricked into parting with £5,000.

Local Safer Neighbourhood Team officers have been visiting care homes, sheltered housing schemes and banks to reinforce the messages around phone scams and to give advice on what people should do if they are targeted.

Three Rivers Chief Inspector Deirdre Allen said: “These crimes can have a devastating impact on both victims and their families so we want to make sure we are doing all we can to prevent more people falling prey to these heartless fraudsters. By directly visiting people, we can make sure we are getting the messages across.”

Detective Sergeant Jon Leak, who heads up Hertfordshire Constabulary’s specialist phone scams investigation team, said: “Unfortunately, despite several arrests and convictions, these types of scams are still happening daily across the country. However, we continue to work hard to trace those involved in this type of crime and bring them to justice.

“These fraudsters can be highly convincing and we want to once again remind people to remain vigilant around unexpected phone calls. I would urge people to please speak with relatives, friends and neighbours, particularly the elderly, to warn them about the tactics these fraudsters use.

“Police and banks would never ask you to withdraw money and hand it over to a courier. They would also never ask you to divulge PIN numbers. If you receive a call you have suspicions about, do not hesitate to hang up and contact police.”

If you think you may have been called in similar circumstances, or have any information about these scams, please call police on the non-emergency number 101.