CUSTOMERS who purchase electronic money vouchers are being warned about becoming victims of cold caller fraudsters.

Police have received reports of residents receiving unsolicited phone calls, where the caller offers the victim a lump sum.

In order to obtain the money the caller then asks the victim to go to a shop and buy an electronic money voucher, such as Ukash or Money Gram, both of which are legitimate schemes.

The victim is then asked for the last 10 numbers on the voucher, which enables the fraudster to use the voucher themselves.

The most recent incident involved a 35-year-old woman who was offered an unsecured loan of £1,000.

PC Anna Gavela said: “The phone calls tend to originate from abroad, making it difficult to trace the offender. These fraudsters tend to target elderly and vulnerable people, in this case a single mother on benefits under extra financial pressure at this time of year.”

Anyone wishing to report becoming a victim of such a scam can visit www.actionfraud.police.uk or call their free telephone service on 0300 1232040.