Sydney residents have been tricked into handing over thousands of dollars in cash at shopping centres as part of an elaborate phone scam. One woman handed over $10,000 to a man she believed was an undercover police officer at a shopping centre at Miranda. On December 4, she received a call from someone who told her they were from Service NSW and said that her tax file number and personal accounts had been compromised. She was instructed to hand over the cash then call Cronulla Police Station to set up new accounts. A 34-year-old man was arrested on December 11 over the scam. Police allege he has obtained $42,500 in cash from three separate women using scam phone calls. The Roselands man faces four charges and will appear before Sutherland Local Court on January 21. Police say the elaborate phone scams are happening more frequently and are targeting people across …