HAMPSHIRE residents have been warned about an Amazon scam, which grants fraudsters access to their personal information.

Officers have published information about the scam and have advised residents to "always question uninvited approaches".

The latest fraud attempt involves victims receiving an automated call, informing them they have been charged for an Amazon Prime subscription and instructing them to "press 1" to cancel the subscription.

Then they are directed to a fraudster posing as an Amazon customer service representative, who advices them that the membership was purchased fraudulently and that remote access in the form of the "Team Viewer" app needs to be downloaded on their computer to allow the "representative" to have access to it and fix the security flaw.

Sensitive security information and financial information can then be captured from the computer by the fraudster.

Other variants of this crime involve the criminals telling the victims that they are eligible for a refund from an unauthorised transaction on their Amazon account.

Hampshire Police have issued advice on what to do if you face this crime.

A spokesperson said: "Always question uninvited approaches in case it’s a scam. Instead, contact the company directly using a known email or phone number and have the confidence to refuse unusual requests for personal or financial information. It’s easy to feel embarrassed when faced with unexpected or complex conversations, but it’s okay to stop the discussion if you do not feel in control of it.

"Never install any software or visit a website as a result of a cold call and unsolicited requests for remote access to your computer should always raise a red flag."