Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Police Constabulary send out warning about fake police officer phone calls

Members of the public in the Andover area are being urged to warn their elderly relatives about phone calls from fake police officers.

In the last eight days we have had reports to us that two women in their late 80s from Andover have being targeted by the fraudsters with one handing over £6000.

They both received a telephone call from someone pretending to be from the police. The fake officer said that they were investigating fraudulent transactions in the victim’s bank account.

The victims were asked to withdraw cash from their and that a courier would be sent to collect it to check it. One victim unfortunately handed over £6000 in cash before realising it was a con when the fraudsters tried to get even more money from her.

We are concerned there may be other victims, who are unaware they have been the victim of a fraud.

We would never request anyone to withdraw or hand over money. If anyone receives such a call, they should contact us on 101 from a different telephone.

Advice on courier frauds
This type of fraud starts with a telephone call from someone pretending to be from the police or your bank. The fraudster will claim there is an issue with your card or bank account and get you to reveal personal information, including your PIN number. Once they have your information, a courier will be sent to collect the card, which they can then use to withdraw money from your account.

There are many other variations on this including being told you have an outstanding tax bill or loan you need to pay off to avoid being arrested. Fraudsters may also ask you to buy a high value item to help identify counterfeit goods or to withdraw a large amount of money to catch a corrupt member of staff at the bank or Post Office.

Remember you should:
• never tell anyone your PIN number
• never give personal information or bank account details to anyone over the phone
• never hand over your card, money or valuables to someone at the door to be sent off elsewhere.

If someone comes to your door claiming to be a police officer, always ask to see their identification. Close the door and call 101 to check they are genuine, a real police officer will not mind waiting whilst you check.

Also, below is some advice we have previously issued on courier frauds that may be of use:

• Never give out personal information about your bank account to anybody over the phone.
• If someone calls claiming to be a police officer, ask for their identification number and police force. Hang up and call 101 using a different phone. If you can’t use a different phone, wait at least five minutes before calling back. A genuine police officer will not mind waiting while you check.
• Police and banks will never ask you to give out personal details such as account numbers or PIN numbers.
• If you have given out information which could compromise your bank account security in any way, call your bank up to cancel your cards as soon as possible.
• Never hand over money to someone at the door to be sent off elsewhere.
• If someone comes to your door claiming to be a police officer or staff member, always ask for identification and make a note of their ID number. Ask them to wait while you verify their identity. Close the door and call 101.

https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/protecting-yourself-and-others/fraud-and-identity-theft/

Message sent by
Ian Sainsbury (Police, Corporate Communications Officer, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight)


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