TWO vulnerable elderly woman are the latest in a string of courier fraud victims in Worcestershire.

West Mercia Police have once again urged the public to be on their guard after the women, both 82, of Worcester and Evesham fell prey to the scam.

Last week a woman in the Evesham area took a call from a man who said he was from the Scotland Yard fraud squad and told her that her bank account had been compromised.

The woman did ask if it was a scam but the man managed to convince her that it was genuine so she gave him information about her account including how much money she had in it.

The man told the woman to go to her bank, remove an amount of money and put it in a brown paper bag with her bank card which would be collected by a courier.

He gave the woman a reference number.

Shortly afterwards a man, believed to have been in his early twenties and wearing a black hooded top, arrived to collect the money and quoted the reference number.

This was repeated over the next five days and the woman continued to hand over money.

When she went to the bank for a loan, however, bank staff questioned her and the fraud came to light.

Today (Wednesday, May 25), a woman from Worcester handed over cash and her mobile phone to fraudsters after a phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer from London.

This was one of five incidents reported today but potential victims in Droitwich (two incident), Wychbold and Pershore realised it was a scam, hung up and contacted police.

West Mercia Police continues to investigate these offences under Operation Ardent and is working with banks to ensure that elderly and vulnerable people are not withdrawing their life savings and handing them over to fraudsters.

The following advice is offered: Remember the police and bank would never ask for your PIN, send a courier to collect your card or ask you to leave cash in a public place.

Never transfer money to an account of someone you don't know and don't be pressured into withdrawing money, or leaving it unattended.

If you get a suspicious call hang up and phone the police on 101, using a different phone.