A woman in her 90s has fended off fraudsters who asked her to withdraw thousands of pounds from her bank account while pretending to be police officers

Police are urging the public to be vigilant following the incident which took place between 3.30pm and 4pm on Wednesday, October 11.

According to a spokesman for Suffolk police, the victim, a woman in her early 90s from Ipswich, received a phone call from a man claiming to be from the police saying they were investigating a case of fraud with Barclays Bank.

She was then transferred to a woman on the phone who told her, in a very insistent manner, to withdraw £7,600 from her account and made arrangements for the victim to be picked up from her home address.

Around 30 minutes later a large, dark-coloured car arrived at her home and a man knocked on the door but the woman refused to let him in.

He is described as white, in his early 30s and was wearing headwear described as ‘similar to a turban’.

Anybody who witnessed the car or the occupants is asked to contact DC Stephanie Rose on 101 quoting reference 37/66483/17 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Karen Howman, a spokesperson for Age UK Suffolk, said: “We hear lots of stories on this issue. Fraud is a concern to many older people who are sometimes targeted due to their perceived vulnerability.

“It’s great to hear that this lady had the presence of mind not to let this gentleman in.

“We encourage people to follow police advice. If anyone has any concerns at all, please contact the police.”

Suffolk police have issued the following advice:

•Your bank or the police will never ask you to withdraw money or purchase items

•Your bank or the police will never ask for your PIN, bank card or bank account details over the phone – never give these details out

•If you receive such a call leave the landline for at least five minutes to make an outside call. Fraudsters will keep the line open and have been known to play ring tones, hold music and a recorded message down the phone so the victim believes they are making a call to a legitimate number

•Use a friend or neighbour’s telephone instead

•Friends, family, carers and neighbours are asked to spread the word to ensure everyone is aware of this scam and what they should do

For more advice on keeping yourself safe against scams see here.