FRAUDSTERS have conned pensioners out of more than £30,000 of their life savings by claiming to be special branch officers.

Police say there is also a possibility they are getting personal information via the dark web to find vulnerable south Cumbria OAPs.

All the victims' surnames are similar, which leads them to believe the con cell could also be working through the phone directory.

Detective Sergeant Wayne Dixon described the culprits as "callous" and said it made their "blood boil" that six vulnerable pensioners had been targeted in this way.

So far, the fraudsters would have escaped with £45,860 if all the cash had been handed over.

In the latest scam this week, an 86-year-old female from Seatoller was called by someone on Wednesday  claiming he was Sergeant Reynolds from New Scotland Yard. 

She was told they had someone in custody for using her card and she had to transfer money to them. She was told not to tell anyone. 

The woman transferred more than £13,000. She was told the money would be returned to her the following day.

On Tuesday a 76-year-old man, from Cartmel Fell, was called by someone claiming to be from the Metropolitan Police.

He was told he needed to transfer money and warned not contact local cops. 

The pensioner was advised to hang up and dial a different number to confirm, which he did and spoke to a woman. 

Police say in this case the transaction would not go through and he contacted his bank security.

DS Dixon said: "These incidents have taken place across Barrow in Hawcoat, the town centre and in south Cumbria. The caller claims he is from Special Branch or Scotland Yard and says they are investigating money laundering and bank fraud and their banks are involved so they have to transfer their money to an account number they give out or they go and collect the money.

"They seem to be targeting the elderly and are either using the phone book or have obtained personal information via the dark web.

"It makes our blood boil that they are targeting vulnerable people in this way. It's callous. Their actions will have a detrimental effect on their personal health and their families.

"I would ask anyone with elderly family or neighbours to ask them to not follow the instructions if they get one of these calls.

"Call 101 and ask for Cumbria police or Scotland Yard and check the details you have been given."

DS Dixon said the man who went to collect cash from a Hawcoat couple last Friday was described as of Asian ethnicity, around 5ft 10in, with a trimmed beard and wearing a woolly hat, casual clothes and an olive green coat.

He added: "It was ironic that this week a gang in London were jailed for similar offences by pretending to be police officers.

"It's possible there is another cell operating locally."

On Wednesday the so-called "Bank of Terror" fraudsters who conned pensioners out of  almost £1m to help fund IS in Syria were jailed for a total of 35 years.