A resident was scammed out of more than £6,000 after receiving fake calls from fraudsters posing as police officers.

It is one of 19 incidents of fraud reported to Kent Police this month so far from around Ashford, Lydd, Dover, Deal and New Romney.

The victim, from New Romney, received a phone call on August 2 from a man claiming to be a detective.

He said they had a man in custody who had the victim’s bank card and said they believed the man worked for her bank and had fraudulently used her card.

The victim was misled not to trust her bank and was told to withdraw a large sum of cash.

A courier, that she thought had been sent by a real detective, then collected the cash from her before she realised she had been defrauded.

A similar thing happened three days later in Ashford when a victim took a call from a scammer who said he was a detective from a fraud team in London.

He asked the victim to withdraw money as they were carrying out an internal investigation into her bank and said the money in her account was fake.

He asked her to withdraw more than £5,000 and give it to a courier who came to collect it from her home.

Officers are now reminding residents to beware of criminals posing as police officers and ask for bank details over the phone.

Prevent and protect fraud officer, Steve Kelly, at Kent Police said: "While many people are becoming wise to the ways in which such criminals operate, this recent spike in reports demonstrates that those responsible are not giving up and that they are successful on some occasions.

"It is really important we look out for our neighbours and family members, especially those who may be elderly or vulnerable, and ensure they have all the advice they need to stay safe.

"A police officer will never ask someone to withdraw money or hand over their bank cards.

"We work very closely with banks and many scams have been intercepted due to this partnership approach.

"Often bank staff spot the signs of fraud and will ask questions about large cash withdrawals and alert us to any suspicious activity.

"A police officer will never ask someone to withdraw money or hand over their bank cards.

"We have an ABC rule that is easy to remember, never Assume someone is telling the truth when they call or Believe what they say and always Confirm the details they have provided.

"Anyone who does receive a suspicious telephone call of this nature should hang up, wait ten minutes to ensure the line is clear, and then call 101 to check the credentials of the person who called."

If a crime is in progress, call 999, but you can report non-urgent incidents of fraud online by visiting www.kent.police.uk where you can also find a wealth of advice.

You can also call Action Fraud to report incidents on 0300 123 2040.