Thursday 27 February 2014

@NAT - Scam - Never give your banking details over the phone and beware of bogus police officers

Subject: Scam Alert

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Colin Clarke (NHWN, Communications Administrator , West Midlands)

Police Issue Warning Over Telephone Scam in Worcestershire
West Mercia Police have issued an urgent appeal to beware of fraud involving bogus officers after a steady increase in incidents in Worcestershire.
Officers are now linking three cases in the past 24 hours in which telephone callers have posed as police to trick, or attempt to trick, elderly or vulnerable victims into revealing their bank details.

In one incident on Wednesday 26 February 2014 an elderly man in Worcester was tricked into handing over £6,000 when callers posing as police officers claimed his bank account had been cloned and they needed the bank notes to carry out forensic investigations.
In another case in Worcester, £250 was stolen from a bank account after an elderly victim was persuaded to hand over bank cards.
In all the incidents victims are contacted by telephone, by fraudsters posing as officers from the Metropolitan Police. Various stories are used to trick people into thinking they are victims of bank account fraud and in most cases a courier is sent to collect the cards.
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said; “You should never reveal your personal bank details or the PIN number for your bank cards to anyone.  Your bank and the police will never contact you by phone to ask for this information. Victims should refuse to give any details and end the call immediately.
“In addition a police officer calling at your door will carry a warrant card which shows their name, number and a photograph as well as the force they work for.  If you have any doubts you should call the police on 101 and ask for the name to be verified.
“Genuine police officers will NEVER ask for bank details over the telephone. One simple rule will prevent you from falling for this kind of con and that is to NEVER give bank details to anyone who has called you."

Anyone with information about suspicious callers claiming to be police should call the non emergency number 101 and ask for Worcester CID.
They can also report information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org
 
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