A fake bank e-mail cost a resident thousands of dollars, police have revealed.

A police spokesman said the e-mail, which was claimed to be from Butterfield Bank, led to the recipient’s account details being compromised and the loss of “several thousand dollars”.

The spokesman said the incident highlighted the dangers of scam messages designed to obtain confidential information — known as “phishing”.

He added: “Once again, the Bermuda Police Service would like to remind members of the public to remain vigilant regarding phone calls, e-mails and other correspondence from unknown persons that attempt to obtain personal information or other sensitive data.”