Woman conned by courier fraudsters in Wem

At around 6pm on Wednesday the offender visited the victim at her home on Trentham Road after speaking with someone who claimed to be a police officer from Hammersmith Police Station.

He told the woman two men in London had used her bank details to launder money. He then got her to withdraw cash from the bank and tell them it was for a new car.

The man is described at short, Asian, possibly east or southeast Asian, and wore a striped blue and white anorak jacket and had a sling bag over his shoulder.

We are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

Detective Constable Ben Oakley said: "We are working to identify this individual and are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen the offender or has dash-cam footage from this area around the time of the incident.

"These offenders tend to target vulnerable people so it is really important for you to share these warnings with your friends and family. Police officers will never ask you to withdraw or transfer funds, never ask you to give false details to your bank about why you are withdrawing money, nor will they ask you to supply your bank details or cash. If you receive a phone call of this nature please hang up straight away and call us.

"If someone visits your home ask to see their identification before engaging and if someone calls you and says they are a police officer, don’t be afraid to ask for their name and identification number then call their respective police force to confirm their identity.  If they ask for funds or are acting suspiciously please do not supply them with any money and again, call us."

Anyone with information can call Detective Constable Ben Oakley on 01743 237414 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.