on behalf of Action Fraud (National Fraud Intelligence Bureau)
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Action Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National)
There has been a recent series of incidents whereby fraudsters either phone or
attend the home address of elderly members of the public, claiming to be police
officers.
The fake officer/s will claim that they are investigating a fraud which they
believe the elderly person to be a victim of. The fake officer/s will then
request the bank cards and personal identification numbers (PIN) of the victim
and claim these are needed for investigation purposes. If the first contact was
made by a phone call, the fake officer/s will tell the victim that someone will
be over to collect the evidence. In one case the victim was instructed to
attend their local bank and withdraw all of the money from their account. The
suspect was left alone in the victim’s house whilst the victim carried out the
instructions.
Protect Yourself
Before letting anyone into your home who claims to be from any law enforcement
agency, ask to see their identity card and check it by calling 101.
Ask if they can attend at a pre-arranged time when a family member or friend
can also be present.
If you receive a phone call from a police officer, ask for their name and force
and tell them you will call them back. Wait a few minutes and then use 101 to
call them back through their force’s switchboard and verify their identity.
The Police will never ask for your PIN or passwords. Do not give this
information to anyone.
The Police will never request that you withdraw/transfer any money to them.
If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online
http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone 0300 123 204