A POLICE campaign warning Wyre Forest residents about telephone scams and how to avoid them has launched in Kidderminster.

Officers joined forces with staff from Barclay's Bank to teach sheltered housing residents at Adams House in Woodfield Street how to avoid falling victim to costly scams.

Such scams often involve someone contacting the victim pretending to be from the police or their bank, saying that the person's card has been used fraudulently.

They will then encourage the victim to hand over their bank details, including their PIN, which they may ask them to enter into the keypad of their phone.

Inspector Gareth Lougher said: "People who commit these types of crime will often target some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and they can often sound very convincing.

"Fortunately, there are some simple precautions people can take to avoid falling victim.

"The main thing to remember is that your bank or the police will never ask for your account details or PIN number over the phone, they will never ask you to transfer money to a secure account and they will never send someone round to collect your bank cards.

"If someone calls asking you any of this, they are a criminal and you should report it immediately."

This is the first of a number of visits to local community groups over the next few months.

If you think your community group in the Wyre Forest area would benefit from a visit from officers then call 101 and ask to speak to your local policing team.

If you have information that could help police catch a telephone scammer you can call 101.

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org