FRAUDSTERS who try to trick their victims into believing that they will be refunded thousands of pounds in bank charges appear to be targeting Worcester residents.

One woman, who did not want to be named, received several calls from a man claiming to be acting on behalf of a company who alleged that she was entitled to more than £3,000.

He told the woman that the money would be sent by courier in cash or cheque provided she bought £200 worth of UKASH vouchers – a scheme for securely transferring money via the internet – in return.

She was instructed to give the code from the vouchers, which can be bought widely from shops and garages, to the courier when he called her ahead of his arrival.

The woman, who has reported the phone calls to the police, said she feared it was a scam and vulnerable people could be tricked into handing over their money.

“They made out I’d been in touch with them two years ago, but I had not,” she said.

“There are other people out there who can’t look these things up on a computer and who aren’t so wary who could fall victim to them. I think it really should be exposed.”

A quick search on the internet revealed our reader is not the first to be contacted by the company and numerous warnings have been posted on websites about the con. A worker for the company said it was his job to cold call unsuspecting residents.

He said it requested the payment to process the application and he could guarantee that they would receive the money.

A spokesman for Worces-tershire Regulatory Services said scams relating to people reclaiming bank charges were common.