Warning as scammers pose as police officers to trick residents out of thousands of pounds

Officers are urging people to stay vigilant against scammers pretending to be police officers after a number of calls were reported in the past week.

More than 20 people in areas including Mansfield, Arnold and Kirkby-in-Ashfield have reported receiving a call out of the blue from someone claiming to be a police officer who said they required their assistance with an investigation.

In one case, a vulnerable victim lost £38,000 after being tricked into handing over cash and high-value jewellery, while another person lost £18,500.

Courier fraud occurs when a criminal purporting to be a police officer or bank official contacts you by phone and convinces you that you are required to hand over money or your debit/credit card for a legitimate reason to someone who will pick this up.

Residents are contacted by phone from someone claiming to be a police officer or someone from their bank. The caller might be able to confirm some easily obtainable information about you such as your full name and address.

After gaining your trust, the criminals might claim:

• Their systems have spotted a fraudulent payment on your card or it is due to expire and needs to be replaced.

• There is an investigation that requires you to withdraw money and hand it over to a police officer or courier, which will be returned to you once the investigation is complete.

• You need to purchase expensive items that you’ll be asked to hand to a courier for examination.

• Some money has been removed from your bank account and that corrupt staff at your local bank branch are responsible. You’re advised that someone at the branch has already been arrested but the “police” need you to withdraw your money for evidence.

• That a business, such as a jeweller or currency exchange, is operating fraudulently and they require assistance to help secure evidence.

In these scenarios, the criminals will often tell you not to speak to anyone else about the investigation and promise you will get your money back. They may ask you to lie to your bank or bypass security measures – it is essential that you follow any warnings from your bank and never lie to your bank.

They may offer to send a courier to collect your money, or bank card and PIN. They ask you to write down your PIN and place it in a separate envelope to that of your card.

Following the recent spate in reports, Nottinghamshire Police is encouraging people to protect themselves and others by sharing the information below:

• Neither police nor bank officials will ever ask you to withdraw money from your account, purchase anything or hand over your personal details or passwords.

• If you believe you are being targeted by a scammer hang up the phone and use a different phone line to call Action Fraud or the police, as scammers have a way to stay on the line and will pretend to be the police when you call back.

• If you don’t have access to a different phone line, wait for a period of time and try calling a family member or friend first to make sure the scammer is no longer on the line.

• Just because someone knows basic details about you like your address or date of birth, it doesn’t mean they are genuine bank or police employees.

• Always question suspicious phone calls and report them to Action Fraud or the police.

• Tell relatives or people who you think could be vulnerable about the scam.

• Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed about being defrauded, it can and does happen to anyone.

Detective Sergeant Tara Clapperton, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

"We have unfortunately continued to receive reports of scammers contacting individuals via the telephone and pretending to either be police officers or bank staff.

“If you receive such a call you should not give out any personal information and hang up immediately.

“If you are ever unsure whether the person speaking to you is a genuine police officer please contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 and ask to speak with that officer, any police officer would not be offended by you wishing to verify their identity.

“We stress that no police officers will ever call you out of the blue asking for personal information, including bank account details.

“A police officer would never ask you to withdraw money or purchase high value items such as gold or watches as part of an investigation.

“We are urging people to share this among friends and family. Not everyone has access to the internet, so people do tell neighbours and relatives about these types of scams.

“If you receive a phone call like this please report it to the police immediately and inform Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040.”

Digital versions of Nottinghamshire Police’s fraud toolkits – which includes useful advice and information on how to protect yourself from scams – can be viewed here: Fraud Toolkit (fliphtml5.com)