ELDERLY Hampshire residents are being targeted by fraudsters pretending to be police officers and traffic wardens.

Hampshire police have issued a warning from Action Fraud who have received an increase in reports where pensioners are being scammed by "fake" officers.

The victims are being approached while in a car park and are told they have parked illegally or broken a speed limit and a photo has been taken of their car as "evidence"

Victims are then threatened with a substantial penalty fine unless they pay a smaller upfront-fee immediately.

Any victim who chooses to pay the penalty is then directed to a parking meter and asked to enter their card and PIN details.

When the unassuming victim inserts their card and PIN, the scammers are watching and taking note of the code.

However the parking meters have been tampered with by the suspect, so the card is retained by the machine and victims are told to seek help from the company who operates it or their bank.

Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime where people should report fraud if they have been scammed or defrauded.

A spokesman from the centre said: "If you are suspicious about the authenticity of a fine, do not pay it until you have verified it with your local council.

"Similarly you should always shield your PIN from view when using an ATM machine, and never share your PIN with anyone.

"If your bank card is eaten by an ATM machine you should contact your bank immediately to inform them."

This latest spate of incidents comes after a similar warning was issued.

Hampshire residents have been targeted by fraudsters posing as police officers.

According to the police, callers are claiming to be from the fraud department.

They are telling victims that there is counterfeit money in their bank account and the money needs to be withdrawn.

Once victims have withdrawn this money, the fraudsters are then sending someone to act as a courier to collect the money from them.