Police have issued a warning after a pair of Japanese tourists were scammed by men posing as police officers in Edinburgh
In both incidents the tourists were approached by a man, believed to be Japanese who asked them to take a photograph.
The tourists were then approached separately by another two men posing as police officers who claimed to be carrying out financial checks. They asked the tourists to insert their bank cards and PIN numbers into a device as part of their inquiries.
One of the tourists later found cash had been taken from his account, whilst the other had entered a fake PIN number and was not defrauded.
Police in the area are gathering intelligence to try and identify the three men believed to be involved in the fraud.
Police officers always carry identification
A police spokesman said: "It's very concerning that two men, who are tourists to the city, were targeted by males impersonating police officers.
"We believe the Japanese man who asked the victims to take a picture is also involved in this fraud and anyone who can assist us in identifying the three suspects is asked to contact police immediately.
"Police officers always carry identification and will never ask for your bank or credit card details. Anyone approached in this manner should decline the request and report the matter to their local policing team."
Read more about the scam on the Lothian and Borders Police website.
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To report a fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.