Fraud attempt on Grantham woman

Police are carrying out investigations after a woman in her 50s was targeted by fraudsters claiming be from the courts.

The victim, from the Grantham area, reported that she had received a phone call from a man who claimed he was contacting her from the court on behalf of HMRC to recover a debt she owed. The caller said the victim owed HMRC money and stated she would need to make a payment.

The woman made two payments totalling more than £1,500 on separate occasions. She then became suspicious after receiving a third request for more money and contacted the police.

Inspector Gary Stewart said: “We are investigating all possible lines of enquiry to find out who was involved in these incidents.

“Genuine organisations like the court, banks and HMRC will never contact you out of the blue to ask for you for payments. Never give out private information.”

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 – HMRC, 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/