Warning over scammers posing as police officers

We are urging older people in particular to be wary of telephone scammers pretending to be police officers.

Fraud officers are currently investigating a series of four similar incidents in Hucknall and East Leake where victims were encouraged to hand over large amounts of cash, their debit cards and their pin numbers.

The scammers claimed there was either a problem with a victim’s account and that money needed to be withdrawn for safe-keeping, or that their help was needed as part of an undercover investigation.

Had these attempts been successful, somebody posing as a courier or police officer would then have appeared to take money or items away.

One man recently came close to losing nearly £5,000, but was prevented from withdrawing it by bank staff who became suspicious.

Dale Richardson, a cyber and fraud prevent officer at Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“This is a wicked and cynical scam that seeks to exploit the well-placed trust people usually place in police officers.

“I cannot stress enough, however, that no police officer would ever make contact in this way and request money or anything else of a personal nature from you.

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

“If that is too confrontational for you, you can always ask for that person’s name and collar number than then seek to return their call by dialling 101.

“Any genuine police officer would not be offended by that. Indeed, they are likely to praise you for your diligence.

“We are urging people – particularly those with older relatives –  to share this among friends and family who may not see this on the internet.”

Anyone receiving  a call like this should 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)

Things to watch out for

After gaining a victim’s trust, 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.