POLICE are warning members of the public to be vigilant after fraudsters posing as employees of Virgin Media attempted to trick thousands of pounds from a man in the Redcar area.

The victim was contacted by telephone by someone claiming to work for Virgin Media and they claimed that he had an issue with his wi-fi router.

The fraudsters assured the man that they would be able to fix the issue, and he was told that he was owed a refund. They then gained access to his bank account and tricked the victim into transferring funds to a bank account located in Thailand.

The following month the victim was again contacted by the same fraudsters who had taken out a loan in the victim’s name.

He was almost scammed out of thousands more, but thankfully the bank noticed the transaction and were able to stop it.

Cleveland officers are warning the public that scammers are developing more sophisticated ways to trick people, so are asking people to be very wary of unsolicited and unexpected calls and never to give away personal information regarding bank accounts.

Banks will never call you and ask for your PIN number or for cards to be handed over to couriers.

Anyone who suspects that they have been a victim of fraud is asked to contact police on 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Victims of fraud can seek support from the Victim Care and Advice Service by calling 0303 040 1099.