Devon and Cornwall Police are warning residents to be vigilant over a phone scam involving fraudsters posing as police officers. The force said that over recent days, it has been informed that people are being called by scammers under the guise of “assisting with an investigation”.
According to the police, the callers often pose as a police officer and have at times given a fictitious number to appear genuine in an apparent attempt to gain information, including financial details. It is believed fraudsters have spoofed a Devon and Cornwall Police number, again increasing the appearance of the call being genuine in nature. Scammers have also targeted other force areas and used numbers for 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.
“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.
“If you have been a victim of this scam or one similar, please report it to the police or to Report Fraud. Your information is vital in helping us identify the
Devon and Cornwall Police Warn of Fake Officer Phone Scam