Police warn of anew phone scam

They are told that they qualify for a refund on payment protection insurance (PPI).

The scammer will ask, in order for your claim to be processed, that you pay a percentage of your payout up front and that this should be in the form of UKASH vouchers.

They then send a courier to attend the home address of the victim and collect the vouchers or access the code for these vouchers in order to claim the money.

A police spokesman said: “These scammers may call on more than one occasion and will be persuasive or persistent. They may also suggest people call them back in order to ‘prove’ their identification. Please do not be taken in by these tactics.

To date there have been three incidents across the county.

Detective Inspector Jim McKnight said: “These are wicked crimes that target some of our most vulnerable people. The impact on the victims is not only a financial one but can also have detrimental effect on confidence and physical well being.

“The contact between the victim and the criminal can be a one off or can be very regular covering days and weeks. Please be aware of any signs of this or similar activity taking place - bring it to a halt and contact the police who will investigate the matter whilst providing advice, and assistance.”

Contact police on 101 or if the visit or call is current always call 999.