The Devon & Cornwall Police call you should hang up on

Your phone rings, and the screen says it’s the police. The voice on the other end is calm and official. They need your help with an investigation, there’s a crime reference number to prove it, and they’d rather you didn’t mention it to anyone. Hang up. It’s a scam, and it’s doing the rounds in Cornwall right now.

How the scam works

Devon & Cornwall Police is warning residents to be on their guard against a phone scam involving fraudsters posing as police officers.

In recent days, the force has heard from people who have been called by scammers claiming to be “assisting with an investigation”. The callers often pretend to be police officers, and some have given a made-up crime reference number to sound genuine. The aim appears to be getting hold of personal information, including financial details.

It is believed the fraudsters have spoofed a Devon & Cornwall Police phone number. That means the call can look as if it’s coming from the real force, which makes it far more convincing. Scammers have also targeted other parts of the country and used the numbers of other police forces.

Dan Thorogood, Head of Contact Services for Devon & Cornwall Police, said: “Fraudsters can be very convincing as well as persuasive and demanding. Victims are often told to not tell their friends or family that they are ‘helping’ with an investigation.”

What a real officer will never ask you to do

Dan added: “Genuine police officers will never call out of the blue to ask you to hand over sensitive personal details. You should always verify who the person is before passing any information and should not rely on Caller ID to do so.”

The force says the police, your bank, a fraud department, or anyone similar will never ask you to:

• Transfer money or buy items
• Get involved in an investigation or help them by transferring or using your own money
• Withdraw your money and hand it to a courier
• Give out your card PIN, someone else’s PIN, or full card details

If a call feels wrong

If you get a call that seems suspicious, the police advice is:

• Hang up and wait five to 10 minutes, or phone a friend or relative first to clear the line
• If you need to check that an officer calling you is genuine, contact your local police force on 101
• Talk to friends and family about any cold callers and ask for their help and advice
• If you’ve already given your bank details over the phone or handed your card to a courier, call your bank straight away. Dial 159 to reach your bank’s fraud department directly

Where to report it

You can report fraud to the police by calling 101 or by filling in an online fraud report on the Devon & Cornwall Police website. Anyone who has been targeted by a scam or has fallen victim can also contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or report it through Report Fraud. There’s more on protecting yourself in the force’s fraud advice pages.

“If you have been a victim of this scam or to one similar, please report it to the police or to Report Fraud,” said Dan. “Your information is vital in helping us identify the people who are behind this.”

📷Incoming SCAM call. Concept of dangerous phone calls.