A WOMAN nearly lost £6,000 in a scam involving someone pretending to be a police officer.

The Sherborne resident received a telephone call from a person claiming to be an officer from the Met who said that her bank card had been cloned and a person had tried to use it elsewhere.

The bogus officer requested the woman to 'assist' the police by withdrawing £5,700 from her bank account, which she did, and he would call on her address to collect the money.

Fortunately, the victim confided with a family member who immediately called Dorset Police. Officers were then able to protect the resident and work with her bank to protect her account.

It's one of seven similar incidents reported to the force since Wednesday, all within the Sherborne area.

The fake officer has asked for further information about the victim’s bank account and has threatened the victim with arrest if they express reluctance.

No-one has lost money yet, but advice is being given in case more people are targeted.