People are being warned to be on guard after incidents of phone scammers pretending to be police were reported in Cumbria.
Two incidents were reported in Carlisle over the last three days and on each occasion the person calling raised concerns that the person’s card had been used or cloned and asked them to make further phone calls.
Officers have investigated the calls and said these were not police officers and it was suspected to be an attempt to defraud the people of money.
Cumbria Police has issued the following advice:
- If you have any concern that the person on the phone may be a fraudster, put the phone down and call the police from a different phone on 101 for advice and guidance.
- If you receive a call you’re not expecting, you should be suspicious. The vital things to remember are that 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 police station in person, wherever possible, to discuss the call you have received, or call a trusted number for the police using a different telephone than the one that you have been contacted on.
Police are also asking the public to share this information with vulnerable friends or family.
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 https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
