Scammers posing as Merseyside Police made calls that showed the force's real switchboard number. A familiar number on your screen is no proof of who is calling.
Merseyside Police say scammers phoned people while pretending to be police officers, and the number on the screen was the force's real switchboard, 0151 709 6010. Officers received several reports on Monday, November 2. The callers claimed to be officers or Cyber Crime officers.
Police believe the callers used caller ID spoofing. That means a criminal makes a false number appear on your phone, so a call looks like it comes from a trusted place. An investigation is underway to find those responsible.
Many people trust a call that shows a number they recognize. Here, that trust is the trick. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Nuttall said offenders like this often deliberately target the most vulnerable. He asked people to speak to friends or relatives who may be at risk.
Police have not said who is behind the calls, how many people were called, or what the callers asked for. The material does not say whether anyone lost money.
The alert box above lists the steps. The key point from police is that a real officer should never ask for your PIN or card details, whether in person, on the phone or online. Impersonating an officer is a criminal offense.
Anyone with information can message @MerPolCC on X and quote reference number 781 of 2 November. Fraud advice is on the Merseyside Police website and at www.reportfraud.police.uk.
Never share a PIN or card details on an unexpected call, even if the screen shows a real police number.
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