Lincolnshire Police have issued a fresh reminder for people to stay vigilant following an increase in police impersonation fraud in the county.

The warning follows a case in Grantham yesterday.

A police statement released this afternoon said: "This is a scam that involves the offender calling individuals purporting to be a police officer. Sadly, this is not the first time we have seen frauds of this type in Lincolnshire.

"Often the caller states they are from a London based police force and make reference to their alleged rank as either a police constable or as a detective.

"They begin the call by stating they are investigating fraudulent activity on the victims' bank account and that they have arrested someone as a result. They then try to convince the victim to help them solve the crime by sharing their bank details."

The statement continued: "On one occasion on 8th June 2020, an elderly victim at home in Grantham had received a call from an alleged police officer from Hammersmith Police, claiming that her husband's card had been cloned and used.

"However, the call came to an end after the victim said her husband had been dead for a number of years."

Lincolnshire Police said there have also been a number of similar fraud attempts in Grantham and Lincoln in the last week.

Fortunately, all potential victims realised that the call was a scam and quickly terminated the calls. There have been no successful money transfers so far.

Police warn if you receive a call you're not expecting, please remain vigilant. Hang up the phone immediately and report the call to them on 101 on a different line.

They added: "We'd urge for you to share this information with your friends and family, especially older relatives. This crime has a devastating impact on people so please report any calls to police or Action Fraud.

"To prevent more people falling victim to this type of scam, our advice is to:

Never give out your bank cards, pin or other bank details – your bank and the police will never ask for this "Never withdraw money and send it to them via a courier or by any other means

Hang up immediately if you have any doubts about someone who called you

Some phone companies offer call screening services that can be effective in blocking cold callers. "If you suspect you've been the victim of fraud, you can also report this to Action Fraud on 0300 1232040." For further advice on fraud or scams, visit the advice page: https://www.lincs.police.uk/reporting-advice/fraud-and-scams/