Police warningof phone fraud
Already in March an 82 year old woman conned to transfer £10,000 into another bank account while a 82-year-old man from Horsham was convinced to try to withdraw a large quantity money from his bank.
However, police say that excellent work by alert bank staff warned him to the fact it was a scam, so no money was withdrawn or handed over.
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Hide AdOut of 24 people who have reported being called by the scammers on just one day this month (March 3), only one person handed over any money.
There has been a rise in telephone and courier scams in which the victim receives a phone call from a person claiming to be from the police or the victim’s bank.
The offender tries to convince the victim that money has been taken from their accounts and that they should either contact 999 or their bank. They then stay on the line and ask the victim to withdraw cash from their banks or hand over their cards to a courier.
Detective Inspector Gill Sole said: “The message is getting out there that this type of call is a scam but we want to make sure that nobody falls victim to this.
If you have any suspicions about a call, contact police.
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Hide Ad“Police and banks would never phone like this and ask for personal details about bank accounts , pin numbers or ask for money to be withdrawn. If anyone calls claiming to be a police officer and asks you to check the suspicious behaviour with your bank, make sure the line is clear by making the call a significant time later or better still using a different phone.
“I urge anyone reading or hearing this message to pass it on to any friends and relatives who may not be aware of this particular type of targeted fraud, to prevent any vulnerable friends or family members from becoming victims.
“If you have any information, whether you have received similar calls or know someone who has been a victim of this crime, contact Sussex Police via 101 or email [email protected] quoting Operation Edisto.
“You can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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Hide AdFor on-line advice on fraud prevention, go to http://www.sussex.police.uk/help-centre/ask-us/fraud,-scams-and-financial-issues/what-can-i-do-to-prevent-fraud
The ‘Little Book Of Big Scams’ also gives advice on how to prevent a wide variety of frauds - http://www.sussex.police.uk/media/480981/sussex_police_the_little_book_of_big_scams_online_22.03.13.pdf.