Police are reminding the public to be vigilant over cold-calling – following a number of scam calls to residents in Barrow.
The scam has involved fraudsters ringing people and pretending to be police officers.
Among the tactics they use is to claim the victim’s bank is set to shut and the safest place for the cash is to give it to the fraudsters.
They ask for cash to be withdrawn at the bank ready for collection.
Officers are asking people to make elderly or vulnerable relatives, friends and neighbours aware of the scam – as fraudsters often target the vulnerable.
Police are not aware of anybody falling victim to this type of scam in Barrow as yet – but officers are aware that calls of this nature have been made to homes in the town.
Detective Inspector Hayley Wilkinson said: “Police officers would never contact you in such a way.
“We would ask everyone to exercise caution when experiencing cold calls and to report anything suspicious.
“We would also ask people to make any elderly or vulnerable family members or friends aware of this so that they can be vigilant against such frauds.”
Advice to steer clear of fraud.
If you receive a call you’re not expecting, you should be vigilant. The vital things to remember are that your bank and the police would:
- Never ask you for your bank account details or PIN number over the phone.
- Never ask you to withdraw money and send it to them via a courier, taxi or by any other means.
- Never ask you to send your bank cards, or any other personal property, to them via courier, taxi or by other similar means.
If you think you have been the victim of a fraud you can report this to police on 101 and to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 – or by visiting their website at: actionfraud.police.uk
