A warning has been issued after fraudsters posing as police officers scammed £2,000 from a man.
Earlier this week, a man in the north west was contacted by people claiming to represent the National Crime Agency as well as police in Northern Ireland and England.
They told the man that his national insurance number had been compromised and his bank accounts had been frozen.
Please be vigilant after a report of fraud in Northern Ireland in which thousands of pounds was stolen by scammers impersonating police officers. More here: https://t.co/JoqVPEJcUn#ScamAware #ScamwiseNI pic.twitter.com/gO4Vm8OX1Z
— Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) November 22, 2023
He was told to buy gift vouchers and share the codes for those vouchers by text message.
The PSNI said the criminals then contacted the man again, and said police would arrange to meet with him to follow up.
“No meeting took place with the people who called him and the man was swindled out of close to £2,000,” they said.
“Police enquiries are ongoing, and anyone who believes they have been targeted in this way recently, but have not reported it, to do so now to police, to their bank and to Action Fraud.”
Chair of the ScamwiseNI Partnership, Chief Superintendent Gerard Pollock, said he wanted to emphasise to the public that police will never contact anyone in this way.
“Sadly, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this type of fraud, and we can’t stress enough just how important it is for people to spot the signs criminals use to try and steal your money,” he said.
“They have one aim, and that’s to con people out of their money and they will never give up on trying. The impact of this type of crime can be devastating, leaving a real sense of fear and causing serious distress for people, not to mention the financial loss.
“Police officers will never ask you to buy gift vouchers or send details to them by text message or WhatsApp, or indeed, ever contact you in this way. We will never contact you and ask you to withdraw or transfer money for any reason. If you receive a call like this out of the blue, it’s a scam and you should end the call immediately.
“We know fraudsters can sound as if they’re real, and use all kind of scenarios to make those they target believe they are genuine. That’s why being aware of this type of crime is crucial. It’s also important if you have older relatives to have a conversation about this type of crime and reassure them help is available.
“If you have been targeted in this way, or know of someone who has received such a call, we want to hear from you. It’s never too late to report this type of incident to police, to your bank or building society or Action Fraud.”
A spokesperson for The National Crime Agency added: “The National Crime Agency will not send unsolicited correspondence requesting money or bank details. If you have doubts about the authenticity of a message received from the NCA, please contact 0370 496 7622.”
If you have received a call of this kind, or if you’re concerned by the intent of unsolicited calls, emails or letters, you can report it to Action Fraud via their website www.actionfraud.police.uk or by phoning 0300 123 2040, or calling police on the non-emergency number 101.
