Police have issued a new warning to motorists over fake traffic wardens who are scamming drivers with bogus tickets.
Action Fraud said it has received 33 reports since January of victims being targeted by fraudsters posing as police officers and traffic wardens and issuing "tickets".
The callous criminals largely prey on elderly and vulnerable people, approaching victims while they are in their car or in a car park, reports the Mirror.
In order to get them to hand over their bank details, the fraudsters tell them they have parked illegally or broken the speed limit.
The scammers also use pressure tactics, claiming that a photo of the victim's car has been taken for evidence and tell them that they can avoid a bigger fine if they pay up now.
Drivers are then directed to a parking metre and told to enter their card and PIN.
But instead of paying a fine, the card is trapped in the machine while the criminal records the PIN entered.
Head of Action Fraud Pauline Smith said: “This is a highly planned fraud that takes advantage of the pressure victims feel to pay the fine, especially by those who are elderly and vulnerable.
“It is important that people shield your PIN from view when using an ATM machine. We are urging people to be particularly cautious of anyone claiming to be from an official authority.
"If in doubt, verify the person’s identity with your local council or police force.”
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