Police reminder to be extra alert to scam phone calls

Police are reminding people to be extra alert to scam phone calls following recent reports.

Yesterday (Thursday) we received two separate reports of a person receiving a call from a male claiming to be a Leicestershire police officer and asking for the caller to withdraw money or transfer money.

No money was given away. Enquiries are ongoing into the reports and advice has been provided to the victims involved.

Nicole McIntyre, from the force’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “This is a reminder to us all to be aware of these calls and to ensure our family members and friends are also alert to this.

“It is often the case that these type of offences are targeted at elderly or vulnerable people with the scam caller using techniques to quickly gain the trust of the person they are calling. Fortunately, with the reports mentioned, no money was lost, but of course we want to ensure that no other person falls victim to this offending.

“The police would never contact you and ask you to withdraw money. Please make sure you and others around you know this – particularly older and more vulnerable people. If you receive a call of this nature, you should hang up. Always be extra cautious about who you are speaking to and the information you are providing.

“If you need to contact your bank following a suspect scam call, please also try to use a different line as fraudsters can stay on the line even after you have hung up.

“If you do think you have been a victim of courier fraud, you should report it to police on 101 or via www.leics.police.uk”

Further advice, including steps you can take to protect yourself, can be found on the Action Fraud website at  https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/courier-fraud