AN ELDERLY woman from Leigh has been tricked out of £24,000 in a telephone scam.

Thirty-two people in Southend, Leigh and Westcliff have been targeted by the phone con since the start of November.

Police are warning residents to be on their guard particularly people aged over 70 as they are the most common victims.

Latest figures for the whole county show that 63 people have been contacted by tricksters trying to steal large sums of cash by claiming that they are police or bank officials.

Eight of the 63 people targeted fell for the tricksters’ claims and have lost a total of £39,600, including the elderly woman in Leigh who was called four times by the thieves and made four visits to her bank to withdraw £24,000.

Det Insp Paul Maleary said: "The majority of people who receive these calls are aware of the extensive publicity warnings that we have put out about the scammers, but still a large number of people are being tricked.

"The thieves are also using new tactics which might account for the increase in crimes. They are still claiming to be police officers or bank officials and are still telling people that their bank accounts have been infiltrated by fraudsters.

"But now, instead of asking people for their bank details or asking to collect bank cards for forensic examination, they are asking their victims to actually draw out large sums of cash for forensic checks, for safe-keeping or so that they can help with an internal investigation into fraud at the bank.”

A total of 448 thefts and attempted thefts have been reported since the telephone scams first started in Essex in January.

They began around Loughton and Buckhurst Hill but have quickly spread to the south and more recently to Harwich, Clacton and Sible Hedingham.

Many victims quickly end the call and contact police.

DI Maleary added: "The average age of the people being targeted by these despicable thieves is 77, but there have been victims in their 90s or in their 50s.

"People should remember that banks would NEVER ask you to move money from one account to another and they would NEVER ask you to hand over cash."

Anyone with information about the thieves or anyone who has been approached by suspected fraudsters should contact the Operation Seaford investigation team on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.