Essex Police is warning residents about bogus callers claiming to be from Action Fraud.

The caller states that they are from Action Fraud and that the person they are calling is entitled to compensation from a recent incident.

The scammer then asks for money to be sent via a Ukash voucher in order to process the compensation claim.

The amount asked for is usually in the range of £200 to £400. People should treat Ukash payments as if they were cash transactions. This is a scam. You will lose your money.

A police spokesman said: "Action Fraud is in no way affiliated with these scammers and would never under any circumstances be involved in processing claims for compensation. The genuine Action Fraud is the UK’s national fraud reporting centre where consumers can report if they have been scammed or defrauded.”

For further information, visit www.essex.police.uk/default.aspx?page=22252