POLICE have issued a warning for people in Crawley to be extra vigilant after victims in the town have been tricked out of "several thousands of pounds" in phone scams where fraudsters have pretended to be police officers.
There have been a spate of crooks targeting people living in Crawley, and also nearby Horsham, in the last week.
A Sussex Police spokesman said in at least two out of almost 20 recent cases, victims have been tricked into parting with several thousands of pounds.
They were conned into taking money out of their bank accounts, which they were told had been compromised, before either handing it or their bank cards to couriers or taxi drivers in the belief it was going to police.
In one such case, the victim was telephoned by someone claiming to be "Detective Constable Warrant of the Brighton Fraud Squad".
He was told his bank details had been cloned and was advised to remove £4,000 from a joint account, package it and hand it to a taxi driver commissioned to take it to "Scotland Yard".
The criminals have been posing as someone who would normally be regarded as trusthworthy. Sussex Police has a specific operation investigating the scams.
The fraudsters call their victim claiming to be from either the police or a bank. They tell them that their bank details have been compromised and urge them to act swiftly to protect themselves. They may suggest hanging up and ringing the bank or police back straight away to check the call is genuine.
But they then stay on the line and pretend to be the police or the bank, giving instructions on how their victim should act to safeguard their money - either withdrawing it as cash or providing their PIN number for the bank to take action.
They then send a taxi or courier, who may know nothing about the crime, to collect either cash or a supposedly compromised bank card.
Detective Constable Rees Hopcraft, of Crawley CID, said: "Under no circumstances would the police or your bank act in this way.
"If you have any suspicions, please do not use the phone you have just been called on to contact the police or your bank. If possible use another phone to report your concerns or to contact a friend or relative to alert them.
"I would urge anyone reading or hearing this message to pass it on to any friends and relatives who may be unaware of this particular type of targeted fraud,
"We want to encourage everyone to continue to resist these callers, who despicably often target elderly and vulnerable people who may easily become confused."
Anyone who has received similar calls, knows of someone who has or who has other information, is asked to call Sussex Police on 101.
For online advice on fraud prevention go to: http://www.sussex.police.uk/help-centre/ask-us/fraud-scams-and-financial-issues/what-can-I-do-to-prevent fraud.
