Fraudsters posing as bank staff or police were thwarted as they tried to con five people in Brighton into handing over their bank cards in one day.
They did, however, manage to swindle £200 from one of the five people.
Sussex Police urged people – especially the elderly or those living alone – to be wary of handing over their bank details and their bank cards.
The five cases in Brighton all happened on Wednesday (16 April).
Calls were made asking those answering for their bank and card details, with the caller pretending to be from a bank or the police.
They say that the cards have been used fraudulently and that they need to act urgently to protect themselves.
They suggest that the intended victims hang up and ring the bank or police back to ensure that the call is genuine.
But they stay on the line and then pretend to be the police or the bank and tell the intended victim to key in or read out their PIN – or number.
They send a taxi or courier, who may know nothing about the crime, to collect the bank card. With the card and the PIN, they can spend the victim’s money.
Four of the five people called in Brighton on Wednesday grew suspicious and did not part with any information or money.
In the fifth case a woman gave her bank and card details and handed her cards over to a courier at the door together with £200 cash.
The police were told and the cards were cancelled before they could be used.
There were four similar attempts in Bognor on the same day but all were thwarted.
Sussex Police said: “There had been a recent rise in this crime across the force area, and elsewhere in the country, although the trend has slackened recently.
“And more and more residents are not being fooled.”
Detective Inspector Jim McKnight said: “Under no circumstances would the police or your bank request your PIN number over the telephone or arrange collection of your bank cards from your home address in this manner.
