Police have issued a warning about a new telephone scam.
People are called by someone claiming to be a police officer, saying that a crime has been committed in London and someone arrested.
They then turn the conversation towards gaining bank details from the person they have called.
Advice from local officers is as follows:
- If you receive a call you’re not expecting, you should be suspicious. 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, bank transfer 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 any other means.
- If you have any doubts about the identity of the person that you are speaking with, please put the phone down and attend the bank or police station in person, wherever possible to discuss the call you have received, or call a trusted number for the bank or police using a different telephone than the one that you have been contacted on.
A spokesman said: “We would like to state that no police officer would contact the public requesting any money for their bank account details and remind the public to remain vigilant and to contact the police to check on the identity of officers if you have any suspicions.”
Report online at www.cumbria.police.uk/reportit or call 101. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
