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HomeDorset NorthCrime & Punishment - Dorset NorthBE AWARE: PHONE SCAM INCIDENT – PUBLIC APPEAL

BE AWARE: PHONE SCAM INCIDENT – PUBLIC APPEAL

Detectives are appealing for witnesses and reminding the public to be aware after a phone scam in Poole.

 Between 3pm and 5pm on Wednesday 9 March 2016, an elderly man received a phone call from a fraudster purporting to be a police officer from the fraud squad in London. He told the victim that a local police officer would be calling at his home in Connaught Crescent.

A short time later a man, who claimed to be from Dorset Police and flashed what appeared to be a warrant card, arrived and informed the victim that his bank card had been cloned by a bank official.

The offender told the victim that officers were going to withdraw £4,800 from his bank account to catch the bank official. He asked the victim to go with him to the bank.

The victim refused so the suspect said a taxi would arrive later to take him to the bank. The offender warned  the victim not to tell anyone because they wanted to catch the bank official.

The victim spoke to a relative who contacted Dorset Police. Thankfully no money was handed over.

The offender who arrived at the victim’s home is described as white, aged in his late 40s, five feet 10 inches tall and of medium build with black hair greying at the sides. He was smartly dressed and left the house and walked to a car which was parked along the road.

Detective Constable Danni Knight, of Bournemouth CID, said: “I am appealing to anyone who saw a man matching the description given to please call Dorset Police urgently on 101.

“This is not the first time residents in Dorset have been targeted by fraudsters posing as police officers. These offenders are highly convincing and often change their tactics to get people to hand over large sums of money, bank cards and valuable items.

“I would like to remind everyone that the police will never call you and instruct you to withdraw money from your account. We will never ask for PIN numbers.

“If anyone arrives at your address claiming to be a police officer, ask to see their warrant card and call 101 to confirm their identity.

 

“I would like to urge the public, if they haven’t done so already, to read through our advisory guidelines and ensure that elderly and vulnerable family and friends are aware.” 

Advisory Guidelines

  • Do not reveal your bank details including PIN to anyone – banks will already have these details and will never ask for your card back.
  • If you receive an unexpected call from someone claiming to be from your bank, do not give them any details, hang up and call your bank on their  regular contact telephone number and the police –  wait at least 2 minutes after hanging up  to make the calls to ensure that the line is clear or use a different telephone.
  • Do not give your bank cards or any valuable items to strangers whatever reason they may give you to part with them.
  • Do not allow any unknown or unexpected callers inside your home. If you are suspicious, call 999 immediately.
  • Do not hand over any cash to people unknown to you.

DC Knight added: “We’d urge people to dismiss any calls they receive like this and report them to police by calling 101.”

Updates and advice on these crimes can be found on social media by following the hashtag #HangUpOnFraudsters or on the Dorset Police website https://www.dorset.police.uk/Default.aspx?page=8318.

Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 9:411. Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply

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