08/11/2023
Gloucestershire Constabulary would like to make people aware of a telephone scammer claiming to be from a security firm. We have received reports from Cheltenham from people who have been targeted, they believe others may have also been called.
In one case, the caller claimed to be named Richard Clark and said he was calling after reports of several burglaries in the area, the man was trying to arrange a visit to the resident. When the resident said she would need to speak to her daughter the man started muttering and hung up. In the second incident a resident received a phone call from a lady claiming to be the CEO of a security firm offering discounts for people over 55 while her team were in the area. When the resident told the caller that she worked for the Police the caller hung straight up.
We are urging people to make their elderly friends, relatives and neighbours aware that this is happening. Thankfully in these two reported cases both people were not tricked, and instead contacted police by a different method.
Fraudsters often choose a dialling code and target one area with numerous phone calls for a number of days before moving on to another location.
Anyone who receives a similar call should hang up the phone and do not follow their instructions.
Advice:
Neither police nor bank officials will ever ask you to withdraw money from your account, purchase anything or hand over your personal details or passwords.
If you believe you are being targeted by a scammer hang up the phone and use a different phone line to call Action Fraud or the police, as scammers have a way to stay on the line and will pretend to be the police when you call back.
If you don’t have access to a different phone line, wait for a period of time and try calling a family member or friend first to make sure the scammer is no longer on the line.
Just because someone knows basic details about you like your address or date of birth, it doesn’t mean they are genuine bank or police employees.
Always question suspicious phone calls and report them to Action Fraud or the police.
If you think you or someone you know has been defrauded, you can report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040. For more advice about fraud visit:
Anyone can be the victim of fraud. Keep up to date with the latest news and advice, learn more about fraud and find out how to report it.
