Urgent fraud warning after dozens of reports of scam calls

Urgent fraud warning after dozens of reports of scam calls

Urgent fraud warning after dozens of reports of scam calls 

Over the last 72 hours, we've received more than 50 reports from members of the public about a scam in which criminals pose as police officers in an attempt to obtain personal and financial information.

Victims report receiving calls from individuals claiming to be police officers involved in an investigation. In some cases, callers have provided fictitious crime reference numbers and other seemingly credible information to make them appear genuine.

The callers appear to be using "spoofing" technology to make calls appear as though they originate from legitimate phone numbers linked to North Yorkshire Police . Similar incidents have been reported across the country, with fraudsters also impersonating officers from other forces.

They're trying to persuade victims to reveal sensitive information relating to their finances, banking arrangements or cryptocurrency holdings, or to transfer funds under the guise of protecting them from criminal activity.

It's really important that you don't fall victim to this scam. Please also alert friends and family members who may be at risk.

Inspector Gavin Mayes, of North Yorkshire Police's Cyber Crime Unit, said: "The offenders behind these scams are skilled at social engineering and will often use elaborate stories to convince victims that the call is genuine. They frequently impersonate police officers and may transfer calls between multiple individuals posing as detectives to create a false impression of legitimacy.

"A common tactic is to claim that a suspect has been arrested and that the victim's personal information has been discovered on devices seized during an investigation. The victim is then persuaded that urgent action is required to protect their money from further criminality. The ultimate aim is always the same: to obtain personal information, banking credentials, cryptocurrency details or to convince the victim to transfer funds under the control of the offenders.

"We believe criminals may be working from information obtained through publicly available sources or historic data breaches, allowing them to target individuals with enough personal information to make their approach appear credible. Residents should remember one simple rule: police officers will never ask for your bank details, passwords, PIN numbers, cryptocurrency wallet credentials, recovery phrases or request that money be transferred to a 'safe account'. If you receive a call of this nature, end it immediately and report the matter to Report Fraud or the police."