Police are warning people to be vigilant after a Bridport couple were conned out of tens of thousands of pounds by a hoax cold caller.

In the incident which is being investigated by Dorset Police, a couple lost £24,000 after responding to a call from a person who said they were from BT.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said they were called to the couples house shortly after 12.40pm on Wednesday following the call.

They added: "Officers said that the couple had received a call from the scammer who claimed that there was suspicious activity with their phone line and the hoaxer managed to keep the victims on the line for sometime.

"An amount of money then went missing for their account."

BT have said that scam calls are “an ongoing issue” and urged people never to share any of their personal details.

A BT spokesperson said that calls have often been received from a range of different phone numbers and often suggest that the person’s computer has been hacked and ask for permission to access their computer.

The spokesperson added that some victims receiving multiple calls a day with some being told that they had been hacked from California.

They also said: "“We are not aware of it being particularly prevalent at the moment.

“However, people should be on their guard for fraudsters who pretend to be from BT.

“Our advice to people who receive these calls is to never give away your BT customer number or any other personal details.

“We also suggest that people shred all of their bills once they have been sorted to make sure their details cannot be accessed.”

It comes after the Dorset Echo reported last month that more than 1,000 people in the county were being monitored by trading standards as victims of scams.

As a result, Dorset Trading standards service manager Ivan Hancock described the situation as miserable which has led to people not being able to trust anyone.

He added that it was an endless problem" across the county.

The organisation is working with more than 100 people across the county who are repeat victims of hoaxes.

One person who received four calls in two days urged people to “steer clear” of providing any information to anyone who calls up claiming to be from BT.

They said that a person claiming to be called Ella phoned and told them that they needed to log into their account to resolve a problem.

Detective Sergeant Andrew Kennard of Dorset Police's Economic Crime Unit, said: “Fraudsters will scam anyone - regardless of someone's age, background or where they live.

“Criminals contact their victims by telephone, mail, over the internet, social media, email and on people’s doorsteps. "They are always thinking of new ways to steal money from people, particularly the elderly."

A police spokesman, added: “The emotional impact is significant and includes guilt, misplaced trust and diminished confidence, which can have detrimental effects on the physical and mental health of the victim, as well as increased social isolation.”

To get advice about fraud or to report it, contact Action Fraud on either 0300 123 2040 or on https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/."