Pensioner conned out of £8,000 by man pretending to be police officer

The 78-year-old victim, from Dudley, received a call from someone claiming they were a police officer advising her to withdraw some cash.

However, the woman was then advised the cash was fake and was told the money would need to be collected from her home.

It has prompted West Midlands to release a photograph of a man who is understood to have picked up the cash from her home, in the Russells Hall area, on October 5.

It is not yet clear who made the phone call in the first place.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "We want to speak to this man after an elderly woman was conned of more than £8,000.

"The 78-year-old victim received a phone call from someone falsely claiming to be a police officer who advised her to withdraw cash.

"The man on the phone then advised it was fake and would have to be collected.

"This man is then understood to have picked up the cash from her home."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police, quoting crime reference number 20DY/242133U/20.

For advice on how to avoid being a fraud victim, visit: www.actionfraud.police.uk/individual-protection.