Scam Alert: Beware of Bogus Police Officers

Dear Northcote Resident, 

I am emailing to raise awareness of a bogus police officer scam that has been reported to us by several Northcote residents.

These scams typically work by scammers impersonating a police officer or another official body and they contact you via unsolicited phone calls, or texts and emails that often contain urgent warnings or requests for information.

Please be aware that genuine police officers and official organisations will never ask you to:

If you receive a suspicious message or phone call, make sure to hang up immediately and do not click on any link sent or reply to a message. 

If someone claiming to be a police officer comes to your door, ask for their identification. If you are unsure, close the door and call 101 to verify their identity. A genuine officer will understand your caution. 

For more information and help and to report fraud, go to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre. Lastly, if you think you’ve uncovered a scam, been targeted by a scam or fallen victim to fraudsters, please contact 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online at Action Fraud.

Being or knowing someone that’s been a victim of Fraud can be upsetting. We consider Fraud to be a serious crime and will put the time in to tackle it however we can. In the meantime, there are ways to keep yourself safe. 

Fraud comes in many forms and across various different channels, whether that's through emails, phone calls or in person encounters. Please see a few resources below to protect you and others from potential fraudsters:   

We are working on our brand-new strategy for how we police London and we want your help. Our New Met for London: Phase 2 strategy will guide how we deliver on behalf of Londoners over the next three years, and we want to make sure you have had the chance to have your say. The consultation paper is available online, as well as a survey to let us know what you think. This closes on the 15 September.

Kind regards,

PC Izzie Hensby

Dedicated Ward Officer for Northcote