A WARNING has been issued by police over a bank card courier scam.

Thames Valley Police said residents should be on their guard because it is spreading to the region after becoming prevalent in London.

The new scam often targets the elderly and vulnerable, starting with a an unsolicited call from claiming to be their bank or the police.

They say a fraudulent payment on their card has been spotted or that their card is due to expire and needs to be replaced.

The fraudsters ask to ring the bank back via the number on their card, but keeps the line open so the call goes back to them instead. Pretending to be a helpful bank official, they then ask for full bank card details and say they need to collect the card.

The victim's house is attended by the criminal or an innocent courier company driver to collect the card and the end result is that all their details have been obtained. So far in Bucks, the only reports of this scam have come from Milton Keynes.