Police warning that Fraudsters posing as police officers have been contacting Hertfordshire residents to con them.
The scam involves a telephone call either from a mobile or a landline number, with someone posing as a police officer and informing the resident there has been fraudulent activity on their bank account, then asking them for their bank details and were then asked to hand over their bank cards or money to a courier.
Twenty seven residents have been targeted since the start of December. The victims live in Rickmansworth, Hertford, Hitchin, Royston and Borehamwood. Victims lost a total of more than £70,000 to the criminal callers.
The scammers requested people’s help in investigating the fraud and ask people to disclose their bank details, including their account and PIN numbers. Instructing them to put their bank cards and/or money into an envelope and give them to a courier or taxi, which is sent to the house by the offenders.
Detective Inspector Rob Burns, from the Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: “We have seen more people being targeted by this type of scam over the past month, and unfortunately some victims have lost a lot of money.
“Police officers or bank staff would never ask for people’s bank details, like a PIN, or for cash to be handed over. You should never give your bank details to anyone. Usually the intended victim realises the call is not genuine and refuses to part with their details or cash. However, these fraudsters can be very persuasive and insistent, which has resulted in some people falling victim to this scam and subsequently losing thousands of pounds from their accounts.”
If you receive a call you’re not expecting, you should be suspicious. The vital things to remember are that your bank and the police would:
If you are not happy with a phone call and are suspicious of the conversation you have with the caller then please end the call and dial 101 or report online herts.police.uk/Report/Report
Remember, when reporting a suspicious phone call to police, wait at least five minutes before attempting to make the call to ensure you’re not reconnected to the offender.
Alternatively, use a mobile phone or a neighbour’s phone or test your landline by phoning a friend or relative first, to ensure you aren’t still unwittingly connected to the offender.
If you have concerns about your bank account, visit your local branch.
Remember to follow the above advice. In addition to this, some phone companies offer call screening services that can be effective in blocking marketing cold calls and bogus callers. Contact your phone company and ask about call screening and caller display services.
How can you help?
For more information on scams visit our Scam police and bank callers page where you can also watch a video provided by Action Fraud and entitled, “The Devil’s in Your Details”.
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