Locals are being warned after reports of scammers pretending to be police officers over the phone.

Over the last week, around 50 calls and a number of emails have been sent by concerned members of the public to the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner's office (PFCC) reporting that they have been targeted by phone scammers.

The scammers have been attempting to catch people out by using ID spoofing software, so that the calls appear to be originating from the PFCC's office.

Staffordshire Police said: "The callers are reportedly pretending to be police officers from Staffordshire Police and are giving false collar numbers in order to trick residents into handing over personal details.

"In one case, a person pretending to be a police officer tried to convince a member of the public to confirm their driving licence and ID details; another person reported that they had received a call saying their account had been accessed; while another person received a call alleging that they had been involved in an accident."

The scammers are reportedly very convincing and create elaborate stories to convince locals to hand over their details.

Staffordshire Police added: "Thankfully, many residents have carried out their own checks and contacted the PFCC's office directly to confirm the validity of the calls, before realising they are fake.

"We are, therefore, reminding people that genuine police officers will never contact you asking for identification details, banking details or make unsolicited calls over incidents.

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"Neither us nor official banks will ever ask you to withdraw money from your account, purchase anything, or hand over your personal details or passwords.

"If you receive a call you are unsure about, put the phone down and call police on 101 on a different phone line to make a report, or submit a report online.

"You can also submit a report online directly to Report Fraud, formerly Action Fraud, or call them on 0300 123 2040."