Fraudsters pretending to be police officers to extort money have targeted elderly people in Borehamwood.

Yesterday, eight residents in Hertfordshire received phone calls from people claiming they were investigating a fraud or theft from their bank account.

The criminals, who normally target elderly people, then requested the resident’s bank details, including PIN numbers and asked victims to hand over their cards to a ‘courier’ sent to collect them.

One person in Borehamwood, as well as seven others from other parts of the county, were targeted by the thieves, but instead of giving into the scam all reported it to police.

Detective Inspector Jason Keane said: “These residents did exactly the right thing. They suspected the callers were suspicious, refused to hand over their bank details and called police. I would urge anyone faced with a similar call to do the same.

“I’d reassure people that a police officer would not ask you to reveal your personal bank account details, including your pin or bank card.

“Offenders appear to be deliberately targeting older people and we would urge people to share this information and advice with their elderly relatives or neighbours so they are aware.”