A WARNING has been issued about a scam where a courier delivers flowers and wine to your front door.

The victim receives a phone call asking whether they will be home to receive a delivery in the next hour.

A courier then arrives with flowers and a bottle of wine stating it is a gift, and asks for a £3 credit card payment as proof that the alcohol had been delivered to an adult.

The scammer then produces a mobile card machine to swipe the card and asks the victim to enter their pin number. A receipt is printed and handed over.

The machine is in fact bogus and is used to clone the victim’s card so that money can later be withdrawn from their account at a cash machine.

It is a scam which has hit St Alban's but people in Essex are being warned because cons tend to move out towards our area.

A spokesman for Southend Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership said: "Residents are advised not to hand over payment or any personal information to unsolicited callers.

"If in doubt, close the door and report any suspicious activity to the police on 101."