A FRAUDSTER pretending to be police conned two elderly Kendal women out of thousands of pounds.

Cumbria Police is warning residents to up their vigilance after one woman lost £12,000 while another handed over £2,000.

A third realised claims she had been a victim of fraud were not legitimate before parting with money.

Detective Inspector Vicki Coombes told The Westmorland Gazette the scam was one of a number police are aware of operating across the country.

"The victims were upset by this," she said. "One lady is particularly upset that somebody rang her up and knows information about her.

"It is also an invasion of personal space when somebody comes into your house and misleads you. After something like this your mind goes into overdrive and you start to worry about why it happened to you."

She added: "People may worry that they are being followed because somebody was aware of their movements. These fears are unconfirmed, but it is unsurprising that somebody might think like that after this.

"It is important that people never give out their details over the phone and that you always ask for the names of the people and the companies you are speaking to.

"Never make payments to people you do not know and never be afraid to just hang up."

A fraudster pretending to be from Hammersmith Police phoned the women telling them they have been victims of fraud.

The victims were then instructed to withdraw money from their bank accounts and read the serial numbers from the notes to the man on the phone.

The criminals then told the victims that the notes were counterfeit and that they would send somebody - who would use a password to prove their identity - to pick the notes up.

A man - whom police have described as black, slight-of-build and wearing headphones - then arrived the victim's house, gave the password and took the notes away.

Police are uncertain as to whether the fraudsters are staying in the area or travelling in. The incidents occurred between February 12 and February 14.

Cumbria Trading Standards has also received reports of residents being cold called by a company claiming to be from the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).

The service they are offering is unlikely to exist and it is simply an attempt to obtain credit card, sort code and bank account details or other financial information from consumers.