It comes after a man in his 80s from Eastleigh was contacted by a man over the phone purporting to be a police officer. The man purported to be a police officer from Paddington police station. He explained that the police believed his bank card had been cloned but that they had arrested someone in relation to the fraudulent activity. They then asked the victim to verify this by ringing 999 while the ‘officer’ was still on the line. The 80-year-old man did so and spoke to someone who confirmed they’d spoken to the person purporting to be the officer but then the line dropped out. The victim then called 999 back and spoke with a Hampshire Constabulary call handler and was advised that this was a scam and requested not to provide any personal information if they were to call back. Hampshire Police said; “Sadly instances of courier fraud like the incident in Eastleigh occur every week in Hampshire, with fraudsters often targeting the elderly and most vulnerable with their complex, yet convincing scams. They often ask their victims for help and can be very persuasive. We want to remind local residents that a police officer would never call you and ask you for money. No one, not even someone from your bank, would call you and ask for your financial details or to withdraw cash. We would urge you to look out for elderly relatives and friends, and remember: • Police officers will never call people in this way and ask you to withdraw money or disclose personal or financial information. If someone does do this, please hang up – it will be a scam • Consider contacting your telephone provider to get a free call-blocking service if you are getting unsolicited calls • If you are a friend, relative or carer of someone you think might be vulnerable to this type of scam, please speak to them about this advice. You might be the only person who can stop them from being scammed If you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, report it to us by calling 101. If a crime is in progress, dial 999. You can make yourself aware of this type of scam and how to protect yourself by visiting the Action Fraud website or by calling them on 0300 123 2040.
