THE people of Worcester are fighting back against the callous fraudsters who are trying to con them out of their cash in a 'despicable' courier scam.

Six such incidents have now been reported since the weekend, all in St John's, Worcester although people are becoming more aware of the scam and challenging callers thanks to ongoing work between West Mercia Police and the Worcester News.

The thieves call the victim to get bank details including their pin number and then send a courier to pick up that person's bank card. There have been attempts to employ the con in St John's, Powick, Callow End and Lower Broadheath. People receive calls from someone posing as a police officer who explains that the victim's bank card has been cloned, and asks them to contact their bank to give them their bank details.

Two of the three victims targeted last night (Tuesday) were elderly but all three challenged the person on phone stating they knew it was a scam. Four men in a car were stopped and searched with no direct evidence, however investigations will be focused on these men say police.

Supt Kevin Purcell, policing commander for South Worcestershire, said: "We are delighted that the message about this being a scam is getting out there. We appreciate the work of Worcester News in getting the news if this scam out to their readers. We would continue with the message, share the information with elderly friends and relatives. Together we can stop this."

Supt Purcell contacted the Worcester News directly because of his concern about the scam. He said: " This is such a despicable crime because it targets vulnerable elderly people, often those who are living alone and isolated. Thankfully in most cases people are putting the phone down and calling the police. However in some cases criminals are gaining access to victim’s accounts and this is a serious concern."

There were thirteen incidents reported in Worcester and the surrounding area between Saturday, January 10 and Tuesday, January 13.

The calls were mainly targeted at elderly people, with the oldest victim being 86. Sums of between £300 and £1,000 have been taken from some victims.

If you have information about this fraud please contact West Mercia Police on 101.