Victims who received bogus calls from scammers pretending to be police officers have been conned out of more than £40,000.

In the last two months 12 people living in Watford, Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City lost around £10,000 after getting calls from a man pretending to be DC Martin Rose from Watford Police Station.

And during October 2019, victims living in Letchworth, Ware and Baldock received calls from a man claiming to be a DC Robson from the Metropolitan Police and lost £18,000.

In the same period, four victims living in Hatfield were called by someone claiming to be a DC Taylor and handed over £20,000.

The scammers asked victims to either withdraw cash, purchase goods or provide bank cards and PIN numbers for collection by a courier.

During the scam the fraudsters often asked the victims to call back on 999, 101 or 161 to verify that they are genuine.

But they kept the line open so the victim continued to speak to the fraudster believing they are genuine officials.

Hertfordshire Constabulary is urging people to stay vigilant of the scam calls.

Detective Inspector Rob Burns, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: “The fraudsters are extremely convincing and persistent and often target the elderly or vulnerable resulting in the loss of thousands of pounds.

“It’s important to remember that police officers and bank officials will NEVER ask you to withdraw money, purchase goods or hand over private banking details.

“Please help us to raise awareness by sharing this with your friends and family, especially if they are vulnerable or elderly.”

Hertfordshire Constabulary offers the following crime prevention advice:

• Be sceptical of callers, even those who claim to be officials.

• Don’t be afraid to put the phone down with a brief ‘No, thank you’.

• NEVER give personal information, such as your date of birth or bank details, to unexpected callers.

• Remember that the police or your bank would NEVER unexpectedly call you and ask you to withdraw cash or move your money to another account, as a result of fraud or any other reason.

• If callers suggest you call your local police or bank to check who they are, use another phone or ensure the line has been fully disconnected by phoning a friend or relative first, or by waiting at least five minutes, otherwise you may think you’ve phoned a number, but you’re simply talking to the fraudsters again. This is a common fraudsters’ tactic.

• If a caller asks you to type your bank PIN number into your telephone handset - do not do this, as fraudsters can use technology to identify the numbers.

• You can opt out of many cold calls by registering for free with the Telephone Preference Service on 0845 070 0707.