Police chiefs have vowed to crack down on fraudsters as shocking new figures revealed Worcestershire people had been fleeced out of nearly £5 million in just three months.

Latest figures from West Mercia Police showed £4.7 million was obtained from victims through scams between May and July.

Fraud now accounts for 39 per cent of all crime nationally and is a growing problem. West Mercia Police and its Police and Crime Commissioner have said they will invest more resources into it.

READ MORE: 'Just hang up' - police warning after Worcestershire victim conned out of £250,000

Between May and July 1,629 fraud offences were reported to West Mercia Police, with an average financial loss of £5,778.

Some of the most prolific scams included criminals purporting to be from the police or a bank and asking people to transfer money to an account, and courier fraud where victims are encouraged to hand over bank cards or money to a courier.

Others involved national insurance and parcel delivery scams and also romance fraud - where the con artists used dating websites to trap victims.

Among the measures West Mercia has already introduced are appointing specialist cyber protect officers to focus on online crime and also a victim advice line, to provide specialist support to those affected by scams.

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: "We mustn’t underestimate the significant emotional impact of these types of crime.

"Fraud can have a long lasting impact on individuals and their confidence and scams can often be convincing and sophisticated."

Det Insp Emma Wright, from West Mercia Police Economic Crime Unit said victims of fraud lost much more than just money and it wasn't a “victimless” crime.

"There is a perception that 'it’s only money', but from working with victims of fraud, it is clear to me and my team that the effects are far greater than the financial impact," she said.

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"Victims can end up losing not only their financial security but they can also suffer mental and physical health problems linked to the stress and worry of such a huge loss.

"We are working hard in West Mercia to try and reduce this by educating the public on how they can protect themselves, along with bringing fraudsters to justice and providing support to those who are victims.”

The seven most common types of online crime

Seven common types of online crime reported to Action Fraud.

The list includes:

  • online shopping and auctions frauds
  • computer software service fraud
  • server hacking
  • personal hacking (when hackers break into computers and computer networks)
  • social media and email hacking
  • PBX dial through hacking (when hackers get access to the Private Branch Exchanges (PBX) telephone systems used by businesses and make calls to premium rate or international numbers)
  • hacking extortion

How to protect yourself from fraud:

- The police or your bank will never ask you to withdraw funds and hand them to a courier, or transfer them into a 'safe account'.

- If you get a call from the police or your bank, hang up, wait at least 10 minutes and then ring back the police or your bank back on a number you know is genuine.

- If you strike up a romance with someone online, be wary if they ask you to send them money.

- Report fraud immediately either to West Mercia Police on 101 or 999 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.