Prestbury resident falls victim to phone fraudsters

At approximately 10.00am on Tuesday 12th July a Prestbury resident received a call from a man who said he was from the Metropolitan Police.

The victim was told that their credit cards and bank account had been compromised and that the incident was being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.

The caller then advised the victim that if she wanted to verify the call then she should hand up and then dial 999, which the victim did. However, the offender did not put the phone down at their end, which meant when the victim picked up the phone it was still connected to the offender.

The caller was then asked to divulge a number of details about her bank accounts; however after becoming suspicious the victim decided to end the call.

Detective Sergeant Donna Pearson said: “Thankfully the victim in this case did not fall for the scam and the offenders were not able to take any money, however the case could have been very different.

“I would like to remind all residents that the police will never call you and ask for your bank details, nor would we asking you to withdraw any money.

“Although this incident occurred in Prestbury, we have had reports of similar incidents from across the county in the past few weeks. That’s why I’m advising residents across the county to be aware of this latest scam and bear in mind the following advice if you receive a cold call:

• Don′t be afraid to put the phone down on someone if you are unsure about handing over details.
• Banks never call and ask for your four-digit card Pin or ask you to withdraw money to hand over to them or transfer money to another account.
• Never assume a caller is genuine just because they hold some information about you. Criminals may already have some basic information, such as a name, address and account details to try to make the call appear legitimate.
• Always be wary of cold callers who suggest you hang up the phone and call them back.
• If in doubt ask for the officer′s name, collar number and station and then hang up. Using a different phone, as the caller may still be linked to yours, call 101 to check the identity of the officer.
• Alternatively, if you do not have a second phone then you could try phoning a relative or friend, that way you know that the offender is not still on the line.
• Remember that it takes two people to terminate a call so try and use a different phone line if you are asked to ring back. If you think you′ve already been a victim of this scam, contact your bank or card company immediately.

Anyone who is a victim of this scam should contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 and Police on 101.