Essex Police are urging people to be on their guard against a suspected new phone scam by a woman claiming to be an officer.

The woman has made at least three calls saying that she is based at Basildon police station and that her name is ‘Sarah’.

Two of the calls were made to people in Hockley who both suspected that ‘Sarah’ was a trickster and she quickly ended the calls.

But a man in Cambridgeshire who was also targeted was told by ‘Sarah’ that she was based in Essex and wanted to call round to search his home as part of an investigation. He then ended the conversation and called Essex Police.

Inspector Mark Rayner at Basildon said: “All three calls were made on Wednesday, August 13, and fortunately all the people who received the calls hung up and contacted us.

“But we are concerned that there might have been other people who fell for the story and might have let a stranger or strangers into their homes.

“We urge everyone in the county to be vigilant if they are called by anyone claiming to be a police officer wanting to do a house search.

“If you do receive a call, hang up but try dialling 1471 to get the caller’s number, make a note of the conversation then call 101 to report the incident to Essex Police. If someone calls you, then turns up at your doorstep dial 999 immediately.”

Police enquiries are continuing into the calls but they are not being linked at this stage to a series of telephone frauds by bogus police officers who tricked their victims into handing over bank cards or large amounts of cash.