POLICE are urging elderly people to be alert after residents of St Johns, Worcester, have been targeted in a bank card scam.

Between last Tuesday, July 22, and last Friday, there have been six incidents in St Johns, with other occurring in the wider force area.

The scam is worked by cold callers pretending to be a police officer, who ask for account details or PIN numbers, before urging the victims to hand over their bank card over to a courier who will call at their house.

The public are warned that police officers, and banks officials never ask for account details or PIN numbers over the phone, followed by a courier coming to collect the cards afterwards.

A police spokesman said: "Not all of these incidents resulted in people handing over the cards. This is exactly the right response. If you are suspicious, it is absolutely correct to refuse to provide your card or any of your bank details.

"If you do get such a call and a courier comes to the door, then at no point allow them entry. Immediately dial 999 and provide as much detail as possible of the courier and vehicle."