RESIDENTS in a Hampshire town near Winchester are being urged to be careful after three reports of fraud on the same day.

Police say that the incidents which happened in Alton, involved the victims being contacted by people claiming to be police officers.

In one of the incidents on July 27, the victim was told that police were investigating misuse of her credit card and was asked to withdraw money from her bank.

The victim was advised to call police to clarify that it was a genuine investigation, however the caller managed to stay on the line to confirm the officer’s name and that it was an ongoing investigation.

It was following this confirmation that the victim withdrew money from the bank and left it at an agreed location for it to be picked. When the victim didn’t hear from the man again, she reported it to her bank, who called the police.

Police have now urged people to take steps to stop themselves being fraud victims.

Police Community Support Officer Craig Graves said: “We would like to advise members of the public that police officers would never ask people to hand over money or financial details in this way.

“If you are contacted by anyone that you are not expecting, check that they are who they say they are and that the call is genuine. Find the correct number for the business/organisation yourself and call from a different phone, or wait 10 minutes before making the call, to ensure that the caller isn’t still connected.”