Don’t be a victim of police impersonation fraud – and tell your friends

Police received four more reports of police impersonation fraud in the Sleaford area yesterday.

Incident 89 of 16 June is a report that a woman in her 70s received a call from an alleged officer at Hammersmith Police Station. The officer claimed that a man had been arrested on suspicion of using a cloned card belonging to the woman’s brother-in-law. The elderly woman became aware it was a scam as her brother-in-law is deceased so he could not have been arrested.

Incident 91 of yesterday’s date refers to a report that a man in his 80s received a call from an individual purporting to be an officer from Essex Police. The caller stated that the victim’s nephew had been arrested for using a cloned card that belonged to the victim. The caller then provided the nephew’s address but ended the call.

Incidents 97 and 100 of today’s date refer to a similar report, with both victims being female and in their 70s.

Thankfully, all potential victims were aware of the scam and ended the call immediately.

If you receive a similar call, hang up and call 101 on a different line. In the event that you’ve arranged for cash to be collected by an impersonator, call us on 999 immediately.

Remember, your bank and our officers will never, ever ask for your bank details. They will also never ask you to withdraw cash for them and to send it via courier. Please share this information with your neighbours, friends and family to make them more aware of this type of scam.

Police are urging you to share this information with your friends and family, especially older relatives. This crime has a devastating impact on people so please report any calls to police or Action Fraud.

To prevent more people falling victim to this type of scam, our advice is to:

• Never give out your bank cards, pin or other bank details – your bank and the police will never ask for this
• Never withdraw money and send it to them via a courier or by any other means
• Hang up immediately if you have any doubts about someone who called you

Some phone companies offer call screening services that can be effective in blocking cold callers.

If you suspect you’ve been the victim of fraud, you can also report this to Action Fraud on 0300 1232040.

For further advice on fraud or scams, visit our advice page: https://www.lincs.police.uk/reporting-advice/fraud-and-scams/