Devon & Cornwall Police are warning people about a sophisticated scam that tricks victims into believing they are safely contacting their bank after hanging up on a fraudster.

The warning comes as criminals adapt to increased public awareness of the banking industry's 159 anti-fraud telephone service by using it as part of a convincing social engineering scam.

Fraudsters begin by calling victims while pretending to be from their bank, claiming money is being stolen from their account and asking for passwords or security details.

When the victim refuses to provide the information, the caller reinforces their credibility by praising the decision before advising them to hang up and call their bank immediately using 159 or the bank's official telephone number.

However, this reassurance is part of the scam.

On some telephone systems, particularly landlines, fraudsters can keep the line open after the victim believes they have hung up. Victims may hear what sounds like a genuine dial tone before unknowingly reconnecting to the same criminals, or an accomplice posing as a bank employee.

Believing they have called their bank themselves, victims may then be persuaded to reveal sensitive information or transfer money into a so-called "safe account".

To reduce the risk, people are advised to use a different phone when contacting their bank wherever possible, such as a mobile instead of a landline.

If only one phone is available, they should wait at least 30 to 60 seconds after hanging up, or make a call to a friend or family member first to ensure the line has properly cleared before dialling 159.

People should also be wary of callers who create a sense of panic, claim money is at immediate risk, pressure them to act quickly, ask them to move funds to another account or insist they remain on the line.

Banks will never ask customers to transfer money to a "safe account", and the 159 service will never contact people directly. It can only be accessed when customers dial the number themselves.

Anyone who believes they have been the victim of fraud or cybercrime is urged to report it to the UK's national fraud reporting service, Action Fraud.