A fraudster took £100,000 from eight vulnerable pensioners by posing as a police officer.

Qays Aktar, 30, from Wembley in London, convinced the eight victims, aged between 65 and 83, to hand over cash to protect their bank accounts from "fraudulent activity".

Aktar set up several call centres in holiday lets across London and Norwich.

Through a criminal group, he would find and call landline numbers thought to belong elderly people.

After cold-calling the numbers, the fraudster lied and convinced them to believe in a fake investigation into their bank account.

Over 100 cases were reported across several counties, including Norfolk, Suffolk, Dorset, Kent and Hampshire by 2024, police say.

Specialist detectives from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit identified Aktar and arrested him.

Multiple devices were discovered in properties in London, Norwich and Hatfield.

The fraudster convinced eight victimes, aged between 65 and 83, to send him money

Widespread evidence was discovered across the properties, giving officers enough evidence to charge the man.

Aktar was charged with eight counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and later pleaded guilty to all offences.

He was jailed for five years and one month following a hearing at Norwich Crown Court.

Enquiries are now ongoing to establish if any of Aktar's assets can be used to compensate his victims.

Detective Inspector Mhairi Shurmer said: "Courier fraud preys on the most vulnerable in society by exploiting their trust in the police to deceive them out of their savings.

"This type of crime has a high financial and emotional impact on victims, which is why we are committed to pursuing and apprehending those involved.

"A police officer or bank employee will never ask you to withdraw and hand over cash or any other currency.

"If you are asked to do this, hang up and contact the police straight away."

Evidence from the Regional Organised Crime Unit shows the devices Aktar used to cold-call pensioners on

According to Citizens Advice, nine million people fall victim to financial scams in the UK every year.

Some 67 per cent of those reported are cyber-enabled.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) noted that only 14 per cent of cases are reported to Action Fraud or the police by victims, warning that criminals are continuing to search for innovative ways to scam individuals.

To protect yourself from scams, the NCA recommends using a strong and different password for your email, always using two-step verification, and using your browser's password manager to store your passwords safely.

If you have any doubts about a message or a phone call, the NCA recommends contacting the organisation directly from its official website and never using numbers or addresses in the message.