Fraudsters are calling innocent members of the public to offer them adverts in a supposed free magazine, it has been warned.

Halesworth Police took to Twitter to warn people about the telephone scam, saying: “Please be aware of this: people are reporting having received telephone calls enquiring if they want to advertise in a free magazine that is being run...”

Other police teams have also shared the warning from their Twitter accounts.

Figures from crime-fighting organisation Action Fraud have revealed that fraudsters conned Suffolk residents and business out of £5.9million in a six-month period last year, with £758,000 being the largest single amount lost in one go.

Of the 2,433 Suffolk crimes reported to Action Fraud between October 2017 and March 2018, the largest number of offences – 593 – came from cheque, card and online banking fraud.

One victim lost £278,000 in a dating scam, while 37% of the 2,433 crimes reported were via a mobile phone – with 12% through online sales and 11% through email.