Gloucestershire residents are urged to be vigilant! Scammers are impersonating police and bank staff to steal money.
These scammers trick people out of their money. One person lost £10,000 recently. The calls target residents in several towns, including Moreton-in-Marsh, Cirencester, Gloucester, and Cheltenham.
The caller claims to be a police officer from London, or sometimes they say they work for your bank. They might say someone used your bank card, or that fraud happened on your account.
Scammers sometimes ask for your cards, saying it helps with an investigation. The addresses they give are not real banks. An elderly man in Cheltenham lost money this way. The caller said his account was hacked.
He moved money to another account for checking, and then he handed over £10,000 to the scammer. These criminals can be very sneaky. They tell victims not to talk to anyone.
They do not want you to tell family or friends. Police ask you to warn vulnerable people and protect elderly relatives.
Hang up if you think it’s a scam and use a different phone to call the police, or call Action Fraud.
Scammers can stay on the phone line, and they will pretend to be the police if you call back. Wait ten minutes if you have only one phone, then call a family member or a friend first to check that the scammer isn’t still on the line.
The police and banks never ask you to withdraw money or ask you to buy anything. Never give personal details or passwords. Just because they know your name doesn’t mean they’re real. Question any suspicious phone call you receive and report scams to Action Fraud or the police.