Police in Nottinghamshire have warned residents to be on their guard after several reports of individuals contacting unsuspecting people by phone and then claiming to be a police officer.
These low-lifes have been trying to convince people to share their bank details so that they can be ‘relieved’ of their cash and life savings.
A spokesperson for the force said:
‘We continue to receive reports in Nottinghamshire where people have been targeted by someone pretending to be a police officer.
‘They normally tell the victim that they’re investigating some fraudulent activity on their bank account and then ask them to provide some bank details.
‘They sometimes trick the victim into verifying they are legitimate by calling them back on 999, when they in fact remain on the line the entire time’.
It is not known as to how many people may have so-far fallen victim to this callous scam.
A real police officer would NEVER call a member of the public asking them to disclose personal or financial information and then instruct them to take immediate financial action.
If you receive a call you’re not sure about it, always insist on verifying the callers identity.
If you’re calling them back, use a number known to be connected to the organisation in question, not the one provided by the caller.
For the police, it’s 101 and make sure you insist on talking to the named officer.
Make this call from a separate telephone line to the one that the call was received if you can.
If you don’t have one, wait at least 10 minutes before calling on the same line.
Legitimate organisations will understand you wanting to make these steps and will not take issue with it.
www.actionfraud.police.uk.If you think you’ve lost money through this scam, please call the police on 101 so that they can preserve evidence as quickly as possible.
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tell them you’ll ring back tomorrow, hang up, and don’t bother. If you want a bit of fun, give them a long-winded ‘reason’ why you can’t call back straight away.