Police are warning the public to be on their guard after receiving reports from people in Porthmadog and the surrounding area about a scam call.

Gwynedd police said the call is from someone pretending to be a Detective Sergeant Martin XH391 from the Metropolitan Police who tells the person who answers that they’re calling because there has been fraudulent activity on their account.

Callers are quoted a crime reference number to make it sound genuine. They are also told "not to tell any family members or the bank” about the call as the police believe that they may be involved in the fraud.

Anyone who receives such a call is being told not to give out any personal information and hang up immediately.

“The police will never contact people asking for banking information or request that you withdraw money from an account to aid an investigation,” a spokesperson said.

“These fraudsters often target geographical areas where they know elderly or vulnerable people live, so please help to raise awareness amongst family and friends.”