Renewed appeal following more scam calls– from Suffolk police Thursday 29 May 2014

Police are again urging residents not to give out personal information, and to be alert for a scam where callers pose as an officer to get you to hand over cash and bank cards, after two more incidents on Friday.  

Two residents in Felixstowe – in their 70s and 80s – were targeted on Friday 16 May.  

Both received calls from a man claiming to be a Metropolitan Police officer, who told them that someone had been arrested who had been trying to use their bank card to make a purchase.  

In the first case, around 6pm, the victim was told to contact their bank to cancel their cards. The resident hung up and called the number on their card, however the fraudsters were still on the line and made a pretence of handing the victim to the relevant department.  

The resident then provided a number of details including personal, card and account information and security numbers. Shortly afterwards the victim contacted police, and was informed that this was all part of a fraud, and cards were cancelled.  

Police were later made aware of a second incident.  

A resident had taken a call around 7pm and were told to call the number on the back of their card. Again the resident had made the call, but was still talking to the fraudsters.  

The man on the phone explained the victim needed to place all debit and credit cards in an envelope, along with any cash in the house, and they would be picked up.  

The man asked for PIN numbers and other details, that were all passed on.  

About 9.30pm the victim answered his doorbell and found a man, described as of Asian appearance, of slim build, around 5ft 9ins – 5ft 10ins tall, who appeared to be in his late teens to early 30s, on his doorstep. The man asked the resident for a password that had been given over the phone and the resident then handed over the cards and cash and the man left.  

The next day the resident went to his bank, asked for statement and told them about the phone call, and was informed it was a scam.  

It appears several attempts were made to withdraw cash before the cards were stopped or cancelled.  

Officers are urging residents to be extremely careful when dealing with any unknown callers and to NEVER to give out personal information or to hand over cards or money in these circumstances.    

In carrying out scams such as this, it is thought that the offenders leave the telephone line open, so when the victims believe they have hung up to make another call to either the police or their bank, they are in fact still on the line to the criminals who made the original call.    

Please remember the following, and please alert older family members and friends to the tricks the scammers can use – 

•             Your bank or the police will never ask for your PIN, bank card or bank account details over the phone – never give these details out.

•             The police will never call you and ask you to withdraw money from your account, and will never ask you to handover bank cards or cash, to give to a courier or taxi driver, regardless of how convincing the caller may seem.

•             If you receive such a call leave the landline for at least five minutes to make an outside call. Fraudsters will keep the line open and have been known to play ring tones, hold music and a recorded message down the phone so the victim believes they are making a call to a legitimate number.

•             Use a friend’s or neighbour’s telephone instead.

•             Friends, family, carers and neighbours are asked to spread the word to ensure everyone is aware of this scam and not to give out personal details.