Officer urges Suffolk residents to be aware of fraudulent calls

A Suffolk police officer is urging Suffolk residents to be cautious and aware of fraudulent calls reporting suspicious activity on their bank accounts.

Between 2 January and 6 January Suffolk Constabulary received at least four reports of residents in the county receiving calls, supposedly from a Suffolk police officer, reporting fraudulent activity on their bank accounts.

The victims were given officers’ names and collar numbers and are asked to contact police to verify these details.

Detective Sergeant Jamie Adams, of Suffolk Constabulary’s Fraud Assessment Unit said: “Police would never call you and ask you to withdraw money to be collected by an officer nor would they ask you to transfer money into a different bank account.

“If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of the call please contact Suffolk police, ideally via another phone line or other method, to verify the details of the officer provided in the call.

“If you have elderly or vulnerable neighbours, friends or family, I would ask you to inform them of this guidance and to check with someone they trust if contacted in a similar manner.”

For more details about checking police officers’ identities, please visit: www.suffolk.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/how-to-check-an-officers-identity/

If an officer needs to speak to you on the phone, they'll identify themselves clearly.

A police officer should never: 

• ask you for your bank details or PIN
• ask you to transfer funds to another account
• ask you to hand over cash or bank cards to a courier
• ask you to pay a fine or a fee to them or a third party over the phone or online
• ask you for access to your computer, passwords or log on details over the phone or online
• ask you to register personal details in an attachment or website online
• ask you to 'assist' in an investigation by doing any of the above
• state that you are committing a crime by not complying
• communicate in an abusive, threatening or coercive manner