Police have issued key advice to residents in the West Midlands after a victim had a 'very convincing' phone call from a fraudster. The criminal posed as a police officer, telling the victim someone was trying to leave the UK with their ID and personal information.
How the Scam Worked
West Mercia Police said the caller even provided a Report Fraud reference number to the victim, making the call sound even more official. The caller claimed to be from the Economic and Cyber Crime Division and stated they had someone in custody who had been stopped attempting to leave the UK with the victim's ID and other personal information.
The caller was able to give the victim personal information before asking other questions relating to cryptocurrency, police said. The caller later asked the victim to attend their local station the following day to confirm their identity.
Police Advice
Issuing an alert, police said: 'We have been made aware of an incident where a person has been contacted by a male who identified himself as a Police Officer, saying he was from the Economic and Cyber Crime Division.'
'These callers can sound very convincing and use official sounding names, badge numbers and on this occasion even provided a Report Fraud reference number to the victim,' the force added.
Police suggested several specific steps to take before giving out any personal information over the phone. West Mercia Police said: 'If someone calls you claiming to be a Police Officer, before giving any personal information, STOP. Ask them to confirm their Name, Collar Number and which Police Service they are from. Say that you will contact them back. Hang up and call 101 asking for the Police Service they stated and confirm their identity with the control room.'
'Genuine Police calls will never be concerned with you confirming identity before proceeding with the call,' they said.
'If they have called you on a landline we would recommend you wait at least 15 minutes and where possible call from a different phone. There have been cases where fraudsters keep the line open after the victim has hung up and even playing a false dial tone,' the force added.
'If you are unable to use a different phone, try calling a friend or family to make sure the fraudster is no longer on the line.'
What Genuine Police Will Never Do
Genuine Police will never ask you to confirm banking or cryptocurrency details, identification (such as passport number), PIN codes or passwords. Genuine Police will never ask you to withdraw or transfer funds from one account to another.
If you have received a call similar to this, please report it to Report Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.
