FAKE police officers have conned an elderly resident of the New Forest out of thousands of pounds.

The Lymington homeowner, who is in their 80s, was targeted during a spate of bogus phone calls from conmen pretending to be police.

During the spree, a caller purporting to be an officer calls a resident and asks them to withdraw money to assist with an 'investigation'.

The fraudster claims the resident is a victim of fraud, and money in their bank accounts has been replaced with counterfeit currency.

The ‘police officer’ tells the resident he needs the money as evidence for an investigation. Residents are directed to visit their banks to withdraw the cash.

Detective Constable Adam Knight said the "convincing" callers tell residents the money is needed urgently. The residents are urged not to talk to bank staff if questioned, and instead lie and say the large withdrawal is for a car.

Residents have been asked to withdraw more than £8,000 in cash in a single transaction.

The fraudster then arranges for a courier to collect the money. Residents are told genuine money will be returned to their accounts.

Bank staff are told to challenge customers and raise the alarm when large sums are taken out in suspicious circumstances.

DC Knight said: “Sadly, this type of incident is becoming all too common and scammers can make large sums of money daily.

“They will weave a web of stories and can be very convincing. However, no matter how believable they sound we would like to remind people that we, the police, would never call you and ask for money.

“A genuine police officer or any official would never ask a member of the public for money in this way. If someone calls you saying they are a police officer and asks you for money, hang up.

“If you want to check whether they are genuine police officer, ask for their name and collar number, hang up and call 101 to check they are genuine. Wait until you hear a dial tone to make the call, or use a different phone, such as a mobile.

“Please contact any elderly or vulnerable friends or relatives you may know to make them aware of this scam and remind them not to give any details to unexpected callers."