A Harpenden man in his 70s has been targeted in a phone scam.

Between 1pm and 4pm on Monday, April 27, the man was contacted by someone claiming to be from the Visa fraud department.

The caller stated that the man’s card had been used fraudulently in London.

The man was told that in order to investigate the crime the caller would need his PIN and bank cards.

After providing his PIN, the victim was instructed to place his bank card into an envelope and hand it over to a courier who later arrived and collected it.

After this had happened, the man’s wife came home and cancelled the bank card, which prevented the fraudsters from stealing any money from the account.

St Albans Local Crime Unit Detective Inspector Pete Frost said: "It was fortunate the bank card was cancelled and the victim didn’t lose any money, but this incident again highlights the need for everyone to share our advice and help raise awareness about fraud.

"I’d like to make it absolutely clear that the police, banks and credit card companies would never, in any circumstances, ask you for your PIN – only you should know this number.

Equally, they’d never ask you to send your bank cards to them by any means.

"Please be cautious of all unexpected telephone calls and do not be afraid to end them immediately should be suspicious of what the caller is saying."