Elderly people have been warned of an ongoing scam thieves have been using to steal bank cards.
 

Last year, 26 people in Sutton fell victim to 'courier fraud' where scammers use a ruse to tell people there has been a problem with their bank card and send a taxi or other courier to them to pick up their card.
 

During the scam the thieves usually trick the victim into disclosing their PIN.
Across London, the scam claimed more than 2,000 victims last year prompting a day of action across the Met to raise awareness of it.
 

PCSOs Dale Chen and Matt Deacons called into a Tear Fund coffee morning at St Oswald's Church in Stonecot this morning to talk to pensioners about the issue and give them fraud prevention advice like never giving callers their PINs and, if they do receive a suspect call to allow five minutes before calling police on the same line or using a different phone as fraudsters frequently leave the line open as part of the con.
 

Sutton Chief Inspector Nick Collins said Sutton had been working hard over the last 18 months with agencies including Sutton Council’s carer network, Meals on Wheels, Neighbourhood Watch and through public engagement initiatives in Sutton High Street to reach the people most likely to be victims.
 

He added: "We are committed to carrying on our activities to reach as many people as possible to raise awareness of this scam and to provide crime prevention advice to stop them becoming victims," 
 

Sutton is one of the London boroughs least affected by the con, 27th out of 32. Camden was the most affected last year with 260 people falling foul of the scammers.
 

Earlier this year, brothers Mohammed Dulu Miah, 26, and Shilu Miah, 31, of Sidmouth Street in Camden were jailed for four years and three months and six years respectively for funding a lavish lifestyle of fast cars, Champagne and expensive holidays through the scam. One of their 218 victims was a Sutton woman in her 80s.