🚨 Fraud Alert: Scammers Impersonating the Metropolitan Police

🚨 Fraud Alert: Scammers Impersonating the Metropolitan Police

Devon & Cornwall residents are being warned to remain vigilant following reports of fraudsters contacting people while pretending to be officers from the Metropolitan Police.

Criminals are using both telephone calls and emails to convince victims that they are involved in an investigation or that their personal details, bank accounts, or devices have been compromised.

How the Scam Works

You may receive:

A phone call claiming to be from the Metropolitan Police or another police force.

An email using police logos, branding, or official-looking signatures.

Claims that your money is at risk and needs to be moved to a "safe account".

Requests to assist with a secret investigation.

Instructions to withdraw cash, purchase gift cards, or transfer funds.

Requests for personal information, online banking details, passwords, or one-time passcodes (OTPs).

The caller or sender may sound convincing and may even know some personal information about you.

Remember

✅Police officers will never ask you to:

Transfer money to another account for safekeeping.

Withdraw cash as part of an investigation.

Purchase gift cards, vouchers, or cryptocurrency.

Reveal your banking passwords or PINs.

Share one-time security codes sent by your bank.

If You Receive a Suspicious Call

Hang up immediately.

Wait at least five minutes before using the same phone line, or ideally use a different phone to make a call.

Contact your local police force or your bank using a trusted number obtained independently.

Do not use any contact details provided by the caller.

If You Receive a Suspicious Email or Text message

Do not click on links or open attachments.

Do not reply to the sender.

Report phishing emails by forwarding them to: report@phishing.gov.uk

Report phishing text messages by sending them on to 7726

Delete the message once you have reported it.

If You Have Already Responded

If you have provided personal, financial, or banking information:

Contact your bank immediately by calling 159.

Change any affected passwords.

You can Report Fraud or Cybercrime here:

🌐UK's Home for Reporting Cyber Crime & Fraud - Report Fraud

📞 0300 123 2040

Protect Yourself

Take time to Stop, Think, and Check before acting on unexpected communications. Fraudsters often rely on creating panic or urgency to pressure people into making quick decisions.

If in doubt, end the conversation and verify the contact through official channels that you are sure are correct.

👥Please share this advice with friends, family, and colleagues.

Reply to this message

Message Sent By
Mick Harrison
(Devon & Cornwall Police, Cyber Protect Officer, Devon & Cornwall)