Fraudsters are targeting people in Hertfordshire over the phone in an effort to acquire their money

In the first two weeks of September, 39 people from around the county were called, with the majority of those targeted being elderly and vulnerable.

The victims are phoned by someone claiming to either be from the police or the bank.

They tell the victims that their bank accounts have been compromised and that they need to confirm a number of security details with them.

Under this guise, the fraudsters try and persuade people to part with their PIN numbers. They will then persuade the victims to send them their bank cards via a courier. The cards are later used to withdraw cash.

In other scams, the fraudsters persuade the unsuspecting victims to withdraw very large amounts of money and send it to them via a courier or taxi so that it can be examined forensically.

Two people have recently fallen victim to the scam and have parted with their life-savings.

Detective Inspector Jason Keane said: "I would like to make it absolutely clear to everyone that the police and banks would never ask you for your PIN or ask you to send them your bank cards and/or money via a courier or any other means.

"Disgracefully, it appears that the vast majority of people targeted are the elderly and vulnerable.

"For this reason I am appealing to every person in Hertfordshire to not only follow our advice but also share it with their relatives, friends and neighbours, particularly if they’re elderly.

"I would like to reassure the public that we are making every effort to find those responsible and, encouragingly, most people are recognising the calls as scams, but we still need the public to be aware.

"These fraudsters are very convincing and anyone could be taken in by their story so please ensure you follow our advice."