Please note this warning received from Dorset Police via Dorset Trading Standards: Dorset Police have contacted Dorset County Council trading standards service about a phone call scam that they are very concerned about doing the rounds at the moment. The offence is being committed nationwide, however Dorset residents (especially those in Christchurch and Bridport) are being particularly targeted. Both of our organisations would appreciate it if you would please circulate this message through your contact network. The crime is as follows: The victim will be called by the offender who poses as a Police Officer. The offender normally says they are from a Police Station in London (Hammersmith and Charing Cross are locations that are regularly used), or Portsmouth. They will tell a story about having arrested someone who is in possession of cloned credit cards with the victim’s details on them. They will say that the victim’s bank account is being targeted and that they need to go into their banks and withdraw as much cash as possible, which will be collected by a courier or taxi, and deposited into a safe account. They will say that they suspect it is an “inside job” at the bank and not to tell anyone at the bank what they are doing. Sometimes they ask the victim’s to directly transfer the money into a bank account given by the offenders. The trick to the scam is that during the first call, the offenders will invite the victim to hang up and ring 999/101, or the number on the back of their bank cards, to verify their identity. The victim will hang up and re-dial. However the offenders have not disconnected the call at their end and so whatever number the victim calls they will still be connected to the offenders. This leads the victim to believe the story the offenders are telling. Dorset Police would never telephone people in the way described above or ask people about their bank accounts in that way. Dorset Police have a response plan in action to deal with any such incidents and if anyone has fallen victim to this crime, or knows someone who has, then they should phone Dorset Police on 101, or contact Dorset Police through the non emergency online form found on their home web page at dorset.police.uk
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 17:30:10 +0000
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