FRAUD worth more than £1million pounds has been prevented across the region with the help of a scheme to protect potential victims when they visit banks or building societies.

Since West Mercia Police introduced a banking protocol in September 2017, more than 160 calls have now been received and responded to

The protocol was developed as a partnership between the finance industry, trading standards and the police, enabling bank branch staff to call the police if they believe their customer is being scammed or exploited.

Branch staff, call handlers, police and trading standards officers in each area have all been trained in the banking protocol and the steps that need to be taken when a customer is at risk.

Across the country all 45 police forces and 49 financial institutions are committed to using a banking protocol, which has led to more than 360 arrests and prevented nearly £40 million in fraud.

The scheme aims to provide victims with additional support to prevent them becoming a victim in the future.

UK Finance has led the way in the development and implementation of the protocol, with backing from the National Trading Standards Scam team and the Joint Fraud Taskforce.

Detective Inspector Emma Wright from the Warwickshire & West Mercia Police Economic Crime Unit said: "West Mercia Police is fully committed to tackling fraud and protecting people from harm, especially those who are vulnerable.

"The banking protocol has now been operating for 15 months and it is great news that so many incidents have been triggered and been successfully responded to by police. The scheme has stood in in the way of fraudsters getting their hands on a significant amount of money, often from elderly or vulnerable people. There numerous investigations still ongoing as a result of the protocol, which we hope will have a positive outcome in terms of bringing those responsible to justice."

She added: "With Christmas approaching, and people spending far more than at other times of year to buy presents and get ready for their Yuletide celebrations, this is exactly the season when fraudsters know that shoppers' guards are down, making them particularly vulnerable to scamming. People should never give money to someone they don't know and should be on their guard while having a great Christmas. Don't let the fraudsters spoil it for you."

Katy Worobec, managing director of Economic Crime at UK Finance, said: "Fraud can have a devastating impact on victims and is often targeted at the most vulnerable people in society, which is why we must work together to prevent it. The Banking Protocol shows how close cooperation between the industry and law enforcement can help to protect victims and crack down on fraudsters. T