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Village Notice Board

 
Northamptonshire
Community Connect

www.northants.police.uk/communityconnect
Telephone 101 - non emergencies and enquiries




Warning After Phone Scam Continues To Affect People In Northamptonshire

 


Police are issuing crime prevention advice after a phone scam continues to affect people in Northamptonshire.
 
The phone scam encourages residents to part with bank details including pin numbers and banks cards and police are urging people never to part with this information.
 
During the scam the offender calls the resident, purporting to be a police officer, investigating a fraud on their bank account, a fraud investigator from a bank or other bank official. They then ask for account information, including their card numbers, security number and pin number.
 
If the resident becomes suspicious, the offender suggests that they call 999 or 101 and ask for confirmation that the person is a police officer.
 
The victim then calls police, but doesn’t realise that the offender has not hung up so goes straight through to them again. In some cases another offender comes on the line and pretends to be working in the police control room and verify the officer’s details.
 
The caller is then transferred back through to the first offender who obtains all their details.
 
In some cases the criminals have sent couriers immediately to the victim’s property to pick up their cards which are then used fraudulently.
 
More recently there has been a variation on the original theme, the caller will request that the victim go to their bank to withdraw money or simply instruct the victim to transfer an amount of money into a specific bank account.
 
The offenders are deliberately targeting older victims.
 
Bryan Pye from the fraud and financial investigation team of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit said: “This is a scam which appears to be operating nationally. An arrest was made shortly after a number of incidents occurred in Northampton in July and as a result that investigation is still ongoing. It appears that residents are refusing to give their details but these calls show that the offenders are continuing to target people in Northamptonshire and the surrounding area.
 
“In previous cases some residents have been conned into handing over their cards and pin numbers, resulting in money being removed from their accounts.
 
“I would urge people to share this information with their elderly relatives or neighbours so they are aware.”
 
Advice from police:
- Police and banks will never ask for your PIN or bank card
- Police will not cold call about a suspected offence
- Banks will never suggest that you hand your card to a courier  
- Never give your card details, PIN or bank card to anyone  
- If you receive one of these calls end it immediately
 
Report any incidents to the police. Always call 999 if the crime is in action.
 
For non urgent incidents please report to Action Fraud, the central reporting and recording system for fraud, on 0300 123 2040 or online at: www.actionfraud.police.uk

 

Message sent by

Lynne Rosher C0997 (Police, Corporate Communications, Northamptonshire)

 

 

 

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