Telephone Cold Calling – Be Aware And Help Spread The Message
Written by John Williamson on 16/04/2018
Unfortunately, Cumbria, like the rest of the country, continues to be targeted by telephone scammers.
These scammers tell victims that they owe money – whether that be in tax, parking offences, or some other form of debt, and often give a deadline to meet for payment.
Some have told their victims that they can pay using iTunes vouchers, which can be bought from local supermarkets. There have been 21 reports of this type of incident in the last 12 months (01/03/2017 to 28/02/2017).
We are doing everything we can, working with others, in the fight against these criminals to protect the public, particularly the most vulnerable. Unfortunately, these figures will not show a true reflection of the problem because there will be many victims who are afraid to report the crime.
We’d encourage anyone who thinks they have been a victim of fraud to contact us and Action Fraud. Don’t be intimidated by the scammers or ashamed, and let us help you.
We’d also like to emphasise an appeal to friends and family to speak to others and help them be aware of the scammers who unfortunately will continue to target those they think they can easily scam. Please highlight the below points to them.
– Never give your personal details
– Never give your bank details
– Do not make any payments
– Do not trust the caller display
– Do not be rushed or intimidated
– Never be afraid to hang up
– Not to be afraid to report fraud, and not to be afraid to say not to anyone suspected of being a fraudster
We have created flyers highlighting such advice, which will be disseminated by PCSOs around the county. Smaller advice cards have also been developed, in the hope that vulnerable people can keep these by their phones as a reminder when the phone rings.
For further crime prevention advice on fraud visit https://www.cumbria.police.uk/Advice-Centre/Crime-Prevention/Fraud.aspx
If you are a victim of fraud that is a crime in progress and you need an immediate police response dial 999.
If you think that you have been the victim of a fraud and it is a non-emergency situation report this to the Cumbria Constabulary on 101 and to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or by visiting their website http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
