Residents across Kent are being warned by police against scammers who present themselves as couriers in a bid to con them out of thousands of pounds in cash.

Detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate are looking into a number of cases reported in Medway, Tonbridge, Faversham and Gravesend.

The scammers, who often target the elderly, usually call victims pretending to be a police officer.

They are then told money from their account is being used to pay for goods they did not order and that their bank "is in on the scam" by harbouring counterfeit money.

The person on the receiving end of the call will then be asked to withdraw cash from their account so it can be used in evidence. Arrangements are then made for a courier to collect it.

In recent months a number of cases have been reported, including one in June, when a woman in her 90s received a call from someone claiming to be from her bank.

A courier visited her home in Tonbridge 20 minutes after the call was taken, and the pensioner was convinced to hand over her bank card in exchange for a false one. This was then used to withdraw £2,000 from her account.

Meanwhile in July an elderly couple from Gillingham lost £15,000 after being asked to help false investigators at their bank. A courier appeared to collect money, which the victims were told was counterfeit.

In August a Faversham resident in her 60s was asked to take money out for safekeeping due to fraudulent activity on her account. She was conned out of £20,000.

She was told that arrests had been made and the cash was needed for evidence. A courier collected the money after agreeing to meet the victim in Gravesend.

Detective Sergeant Marc Cananur said: "Criminals who commit courier fraud offences prey on the most vulnerable members of society and care little if their victims are left penniless as a result of the lies they are spun.

"We are carrying out a number of lines of enquiry to identify those responsible for each of these incidents but are keen to ensure people know how to spot the signs of a fraudulent phone call so their finances are not put at risk.

"Police officers will never request your bank details or ask you to withdraw money for any reason. We will also never ask you to transfer money, purchase goods on our behalf or send someone to your home to collect your cash, PIN, payment card or cheque book.

"If you are given any of these instructions, it is a fraudulent approach. Hang up, wait five minutes to clear the line and then call your bank or card issuer on their advertised numbers to report the fraud."