A recording of a mock phone scam has been posted by the police on the Hertfordshire Constabulary YouTube channel.

The recording was made after almost 70 incidents were reported across the county in December.

Two people became victims, losing large sums of money.

On average, there has been at least one attempted phone scam every day in January, but no-one has yet fallen victim.

Residents up and down the county have been targeted, including those living in Hertsmere, Watford and St Albans.

Typically, the scams are based around the caller claiming to be a police officer investigating fraudulent activity.

The caller asks their victims for their bank details, in particular their PIN and account number - something the police would never actually do.

The fraudster then asks the victim to send their bank cardss to them via a courier.

In other instances, victims have been asked to withdraw money and send it to them under the pretense that it is needed as part of an investigation into counterfeit bank notes.

Detective Inspector Ben Wright said: "Over the next few weeks, we are releasing two mock-up recordings of phone scams in an effort to show the public what methods the fraudsters will use to convince a person to part with their bank cards and money.

"The recordings are based on actual calls and reveal some of the tactics deployed by the callers, such as offering a reference number as part of their assurance that the call is genuine.

"They also demonstrate how anyone could be on the other side of the telephone line as it is often not possible to verify their identity.

"Although the recordings only last around four minutes, in reality these fraudsters can keep their victims on the line for a very prolonged amount of time, all the while plying them with fake reassurance.

"We hope this insight into how the offenders work will raise awareness about the scams, which continue to operate around the county."

Hertfordshire Constabulary has offered the following advice to residents:

  • Police would never ask for your bank account details or PIN number over the phone, so do not disclose these to anyone.
  • Officers would never ask to you withdraw money, send your bank cards or any other personal property to them via a courier, taxi or other means.

The warning comes after the prime minister, David Cameron, received a hoax call over the weekend.

Det Insp Wright added: "Positively most people do recognise the calls as a scam but the impact on even just one person is so devastating that it is important we keep this crime on people’s radars and ensure they know what to do should they get a call."

People with concerns should call 101 but wait at least five minutes before attempting to make the call or use your mobile or a neighbour's phone, to ensure that you are not reconnected to the offender.