Police have warned people to ‘be vigilant’ about automated scam callers after a reported fraud attempt in north Dorset.

Dorset Police has issued advice to people who have either been targeted by a scam, uncovered a scam or fallen victim to fraudsters.

This comes after police revealed that a Sherborne resident reported receiving an automated scam phone call claiming that £699 had been taken from their account by a person using a cloned bank card.

The call attempted to prompt the resident to press various keys which eventually would have progressed through to their bank, however the resident caught on to the scam and hung up.

After checking their account balance, the resident was reassured that no money was taken.

Dorset Police has urged people to contact Action Fraud to report any suspicious activity.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: “Please be vigilant and remember that if someone telephones you, you can not verify who they are.

“Reporting crime, including fraud, is important. If you don’t tell the authorities, how do they know it’s happened and how can they do anything about it?

“Remember that if you’re a victim of a scam or an attempted scam, however minor, there may be hundreds or thousands of others in a similar position.

“Your information may form part of one big jigsaw and be vital to completing the picture.”

If you think you’ve uncovered a scam, been targeted by a scam or fallen victim to fraudsters, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at https://orlo.uk/tsB9f/