Residents are being urged to remain vigilant after a man was targeted by a scam involving an individual impersonating a police officer.

Cheshire Police were contacted on Wednesday 12 August, by a 28-year-old man who believed he had been a victim of fraud.

He had received a call from a number that appeared to match one used by officers from Chester Local Policing Unit.

The caller claimed to be a Cheshire Constabulary officer and told him his bank card had been used fraudulently, providing a fake crime reference number.

The victim was then persuaded to purchase £1,000 worth of Tesco gift cards and provide the caller with his details and redemption numbers, supposedly as part of a police investigation.

Cheshire Constabulary's Economic Crime Unit is reminding residents that genuine police officers will never ask for money, bank details or gift card redemption codes.

Residents are to remain vigilant if they are contacted by anyone claiming to be a serving police officer.

DI Williams of the Economic Crime Unit said: "Scammers have a number of sophisticated tools at their disposal that can make their calls seem genuine to victims, leading them to believe that they are engaging with a reputable and trustworthy organisation.

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"But with this in mind, there are steps you can take and signs to look out for to deter scammers from getting hold of your money.

"Firstly, bear in mind that genuine police officers will never contact you and ask you to provide them with any bank details, redeem gift cards or put money aside to be collected by a courier later.

"We would also advise you to remain calm during situations like this. Scammers put a lot of pressure on victims, creating a sense of urgency that actions need to be completed as soon as possible – this is yet another sign that who you are talking to is not genuine.

"Finally, if you have any concerns regarding that who you are speaking to is not a genuine police officer, hang up, call 101 and ask the operator to verify their identity and any details they may have provided you with."