"As far as scams go...this will take some beating": Police think they might have found the worst con attempt ever

In a Facebook post, Cheshire police shared a photograph of a letter that had been received by a concerned resident.

The letter, which was headed by the Barclays Bank, is riddled with spelling mistakes, and claims a manufacturing error is causing debit cards to burst into flames.

The letter - spelling mistakes included - reads:

"Many of our bank costumers have reported that their debit cards have caught fire while they are in wallets and purses, and so as a precushion we are issuing an URGENT safety recall.

"This is a matter of the uppermost emergency as your card could create a pocket fire at any given moment, burning your legs and stomach terribly.

"This is because of a fault in the factory process at our debit card factory in Molton Keynes.

"Therefore, for your own safety and verification, please complete the bottom of this form, and return it with your debit card to the safety manager."

Under the details section, there is a notice: "IMPORTANT: the PIN number is for verification purposes only and will be destroyed immediately upon a rival.

"Your private details will not be compromised at any time."

The sender, "Mr Smith" - who is supposedly the manager of the "Barclays Debit Card Factory" - claims to work at "187 Bangalore Lane, Bangalore, India".

"As far as scams go," Cheshire police officers said, "we think this one will take some beating."

"Usually our advice would be to #TakeFive before giving anyone your bank details, but we would like to think this one was pretty obvious."

Take Five is an advice site designed to help people understand fraudsters' techniques.

More information on Take Five can be found on their website, here.