A WARNING has been issued by a water company about bogus callers and scams in the county.

Anglian Water is urging people in Essex to take extra care to make sure they’re protected against bogus callers.

More than 50 per cent of people aged 65 and over have been targeted by criminals and scams, but only five per cent of cases are reported.

Anglian Water is a founding member of Utilities Against Scams, which raises awareness of the growing problem.

The water company is offering additional support to protect customers.

Spokesman Bethanie Kennedy said: “Unfortunately, at this time of year we hear of a lot more cases of our customers being targeted by fraudsters.

“All too often bogus callers will claim to be from the ‘water board’ – even though this organisation hasn’t existed for over 40 years.

“We want all of our customers to feel safe in their own home which is why we’re incredibly proud to be working in partnership with trusted organisations across our region to ensure our customers are supported.

“Making sure our customers know we have services such as our password scheme, which can be used to add an extra layer of protection on their account, is essential.

“We want to ensure that our customers who may benefit from some additional support are signed up to our Priority Services Register."

Residents can call Anglian Water's priority services team on 0800 232 1951 or visit anglianwater.co.uk/priority to find out more.”