Phone Scammers Targeting the Elderly and Vulnerable
Please heed this warning from our colleagues in Nottinghamshire.
Phone scammers posing as police officers and computer store employees are targeting vulnerable people. The calls are generally being made to elderly people during the night and in the early hours of the morning. The callers are using two different stories to gain bank details and in some cases to collect credit cards and bank cards.
In some calls, posing as detectives from Metropolitan Police, they tell the victims that their bank cards have been used by criminals and ask them for card information – saying a courier will pick up their cards. The bogus caller then asks the person to contact their bank and cancel their cards. But despite putting the phone down to make the call, the victim’s phone line has been directed back to the scammers, who then ask for their bank details.
Another scenario being used is to say that the victim’s grandchild has run up a debt at the Apple Store, which needs to be paid off.
Samantha Hancock, Manager of Nottinghamshire Police’s Pre-Crime Unit, said: “These scammers are targeting elderly people at unsociable hours when they are most vulnerable. “Police officers are unlikely to ever seize your bank cards after a fraud and if they do, they would never send a courier to collect them. Officers with identification would come to the victim’s house.
“Please make your relatives aware of this scam. Do not share financial details, including codes for your bankcard, safe or Keysafe, with strangers and do not keep large amounts of money in your house. Also, when you hang up the phone, make sure you hear a dialling tone before making another call.”
If you have been targeted by this scam or have any information call us on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
If you have divulged your card details or handed your cards over to anyone please ensure that you contact your card issuer to cancel cards immediately, and contact police.
Phone scammers posing as police officers and computer store employees are targeting vulnerable people. The calls are generally being made to elderly people during the night and in the early hours of the morning. The callers are using two different stories to gain bank details and in some cases to collect credit cards and bank cards.
In some calls, posing as detectives from Metropolitan Police, they tell the victims that their bank cards have been used by criminals and ask them for card information – saying a courier will pick up their cards. The bogus caller then asks the person to contact their bank and cancel their cards. But despite putting the phone down to make the call, the victim’s phone line has been directed back to the scammers, who then ask for their bank details.
Another scenario being used is to say that the victim’s grandchild has run up a debt at the Apple Store, which needs to be paid off.
Samantha Hancock, Manager of Nottinghamshire Police’s Pre-Crime Unit, said: “These scammers are targeting elderly people at unsociable hours when they are most vulnerable. “Police officers are unlikely to ever seize your bank cards after a fraud and if they do, they would never send a courier to collect them. Officers with identification would come to the victim’s house.
“Please make your relatives aware of this scam. Do not share financial details, including codes for your bankcard, safe or Keysafe, with strangers and do not keep large amounts of money in your house. Also, when you hang up the phone, make sure you hear a dialling tone before making another call.”
If you have been targeted by this scam or have any information call us on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
If you have divulged your card details or handed your cards over to anyone please ensure that you contact your card issuer to cancel cards immediately, and contact police.
Lost Dog
At approx 1.45 pm today we received a report of dog, believed to be a Golden Retriever, running loose near Little Jack's on Orston Lane. Unfortunately we did not have access to the NHW computer to put out an immediate alert, so the situation may have been resolved by now. Just in case it hasn't been, and the dog is still loose, please report sightings to NHW by phone. If anyone has lost such a dog (or lost and subsequently found) such a dog please let us know.
Circulated by:
John Shilton
Principal Coordinator
Bottesford Parish Neighbourhood Watch
Mob: 0772 5636626
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