Isle residents urged not to fall foul of fraud

Since March the force has received a large number of reports of mostly elderly people being scammed by an unknown person purporting to be a police officer.

During the call the offender said the victims had been a victim of fraud and to contact their bank, giving them a number to ring to do so.

When the victim has called the bank (using the provided number) they have asked for the victim’s card details and personal data.

The victim then receives a further call from the bogus police officer suggesting they transfer their money to a police security account, something the police would never do.

A large number of these victims have become suspicious and called the police, but unfortunately others have lost large sums of money.

Last month a 76-year-old woman reported that £13,500 had been stolen from her as a result of the scam.

Police also received a call reporting that a 76-year-old East Yorkshire man had transferred £4,000 to the scammers.

Following the incidents police are urging members of the public never to give out bank or personal details to strangers over the phone, hand over money or transfer funds to unknown accounts.

Marc Dias, Humberside Police Crime Reduction Officer said: “We are continuing to receive reports of vulnerable elderly people becoming victims of this scam, which has left them distraught after losing large sums of money.

“To tackle this I urge everyone to speak to their elderly family and friends about the scam and the steps to avoid falling foul of the offenders. By doing so hopefully we can protect people from becoming the next victims of these unscrupulous criminals.

If people are called as part of this scam they should where possible make a note of key details of the call, including the number the bogus caller has rung from before calling Humberside Police on 101.