Fraudsters posing as police officers are conducting an elaborate scam on unsuspecting victims in Kent.

Police are urging bank account holders to be extra vigilant after reports of people falsely claiming to be police officers and demanding money.

Between Sunday May 29 and today there have been nine reports from across Maidstone, Aylesford, Edenbridge and Sevenoaks.

All of the telephone calls involve a cold caller falsely claiming to be an officer with the Metropolitan Police.

In some of these reports a victim is told the money in their account is counterfeit. They are then informed that their bank account has been hacked and that the suspects are staff at their bank.

They are then instructed to withdraw cash which will be collected by a courier from their home address.

In other reports the cold caller claims the victim's card has been scammed and requests them to hand over their bank details over the phone or, in one instance, money.

Police have assured the public they will never ask anyone for their bank details, or money, over the phone.

They advise:

• If you receive one of these calls, end it immediately and wait for at least five minutes before using your phone. This should ensure your line has been cleared.
• If you are not confident that a person claiming to be an officer is genuine, ask to take their details and then end the call. Wait for at least five minutes for the call to clear and then contact 101 – or 999 in an emergency. A call handler will be able to verify whether your caller was genuine.
• Never hand over any money, or other items, to a courier after receiving this type of call.

If you have any information on these calls contact Kent Police on 101. Alternatively, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. You can also report it online by visiting: http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud

The matter can also be reported to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.