'Victims received phone calls from criminals posing as officers': Police issue warning after cruel scam targets Skegness residents

Police are now warning everyone in the area to be on their guard after the incidents on Wednesday, January 28.

In both cases, victims received phone calls from callers claiming to be police investigating fraud or money laundering at their bank. One even gave the name “DC Martin from the Met Police.”

The scammers were convincing, telling residents they needed to withdraw money and hand it over – sometimes saying it would be checked for fingerprints – and warning them not to tell anyone, not even their bank, as it would “compromise” the investigation.

“It’s a cruel scam and these criminals are very persuasive,” said a police statement. “We want to be absolutely clear: no genuine officer will ever ask for cash, a bank card, a PIN number, or for items or vouchers to be purchased as part of an investigation.”

The first case, Incident 317, was reported at 4.19pm after a man visited a home in Skegness at 2.50pm and collected an envelope of cash.

The second, Incident 414, was reported at 7pm, following a visit to another Skegness home around 3pm. Again, cash was handed over. In both cases, the scammer used a pre-agreed “password” and was wearing a face mask.

While these incidents happened locally, police warn that fraudsters often move from one area to the next, meaning anyone in the county could be at risk. Residents are urged to hang up on suspicious calls and report them immediately.

The warning follows two deeply upsetting incidents in Skegness on Wednesday, January 28, where victims were targeted by convincing fraudsters and tricked into handing over their life savings.

In both cases, the victims first received phone calls from criminals posing as police officers. The callers used official-sounding language, provided names – including one who claimed to be “DC Martin from the Met Police” – and said they were investigating alleged fraud or money laundering linked to the victim’s bank account.

Victims were told they needed to withdraw cash and hand it over to assist with the investigation. In some instances, the fraudsters claimed the money needed to be checked for fingerprints. They were also warned not to tell anyone, particularly bank staff, as doing so would “compromise” the investigation.

Police say these scams are highly sophisticated and the criminals involved are extremely persuasive.

Officers have stressed that no genuine police officer will ever ask for cash, a bank card, a PIN number, or for items or vouchers to be purchased as part of an investigation.

The first incident, logged as Incident 317 of January 28, was reported at 4.19pm. A man visited the victim’s home in Skegness at around 2.50pm and collected an envelope containing cash.

The second incident, Incident 414, was reported later that evening at 7pm. In this case, a man attended another address in Skegness at around 3pm, where cash was again handed over.

In both incidents, a “password” had been agreed in advance and was used by the man who attended the addresses. The suspect was reported to be wearing a face mask on both occasions.

While these incidents took place in Skegness, police have warned that criminals often target one area before moving on to another, meaning similar scams could occur anywhere across the county.

Anyone who receives a call of this nature is urged to hang up immediately and report it to police.