Stockport Council is supporting the Greater Manchester Fraud Prevention campaign after a spike in fraudulent incidents.
Greater Manchester Police are waring that fraudsters have been contacting people by phone pretending to be police officers and trick them out of their money.
The recent scam involves offenders calling victims claiming to be a police officer investigating a fraud crime. They then ask for the victims help by getting them to either withdraw money from their bank account to be collected by a courier, transfer money into a different bank account or tricking them into giving them their bank account details.
Advice has been issued to the public telling them how to spot potential fraud scams and to protect themselves from falling victim, including:
- Never give money or personal information to someone you do not know or trust.
- Never disclose your bank details or PIN number.
- A police officer will never ask you for bank details or to withdraw or transfer money to another account.
- A police officer will never ask you to purchase goods for them using your card.
- You can contact your local neighbourhood policing team to verify if someone is a police officer. Find your local contact number here: www.gmp.police.uk
- Fraudsters will pressure you into making unwise decisions. They might tell you not to speak about it to other people so they don’t get caught.
- Be suspicious of phone calls, texts or emails which come out of the blue asking for personal and financial details or asking you to withdraw money regardless of who they claim to be.
- If you receive a call that raises your suspicions hang up the phone and allow at least five minutes for the line to clear.
- If you spot a scam or have been scammed, report it and get help. Contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online at www.actionfraud.police.uk.
Councillor Sheila Bailey, Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing at Stockport Council, said:
“Unfortunately, fraudsters often target older and more vulnerable people, so I’d urge communities across the borough to talk to each other about these scams and share information with family, friends and neighbours. If you have any suspicions that you or someone else may have been a victim of fraud, please report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 240.”
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