Police impersonation scam '˜no longer affecting Peterborough and Cambridgeshire'

Fraudsters pretending to be cops have conned Peterborough residents of at least £78,000 worth of goods and cash, including watches and Apple products, although some money has been recovered.

There were 15 incidents of bogus police officers asking for money in Peterborough in the space of a few weeks, including one who nearly lost £20,000 after an elaborate scam before a last minute intervention from a jeweller - who recognised the fraud - saved him.

Asked if the bogus cops scam was ongoing, a Cambridgeshire police spokeswoman said the incidents “seem to have stopped in Cambridgeshire. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.”

A week ago Lincolnshire Police revealed it had received eight reports of police impersonation fraud in two hours.

Police investigating the series of fraud incidents in Cambridgeshire have previously released an image of a car they believe to be involved.