Officers from the Welwyn Hatfield Safer Neighbourhood Team joined forces with Barclays bank to help the public protect themselves from scams.

PCSO Amy Martin and PC Dan Moakes hosted a stall in the Howard Centre, Welwyn Garden City, on Wednesday, December 13 and were joined by staff from Barclays.

They spoke to members of the public about current scams to be aware of and warned them of being approached by criminals looking to use them as money mules.

Money mules are people who let criminals use their bank account to move money illegally, often being paid to do so.

The mule is usually tricked into taking part and is unaware that they are partaking in criminal activity.

PCSO Martin said: “We joined up with Barclays as we want to empower residents to spot the signs of scams and prevent themselves from being used as money mules.

Money mules often set up fake social media profiles so it’s important to look out for strangers contacting you online. They may offer some sort of deal that sounds too good to be true.

“If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Never accept money into your account from somebody you don’t know and never share your bank details with a stranger either.

“Lots of scams start with an unexpected phone call. Please always report any phone calls you believe are suspicious as we may be able to trace where the calls are originating from.

"We advise that you wait at least five minutes before calling us or use a mobile or neighbour’s phone instead."

Residents who stopped by the stall were also given purse bells, which help to scare off pickpockets and alert the victim.

PCSO Martin added: “Thank you to everybody who stopped by and spoke to us. We hope you found our advice useful.”