Warwickshire Police say scammers are calling people while posing as officers, using a phone number that once belonged to the force. Hanging up is the safe move.
Warwickshire Police are warning that scammers are phoning people and claiming to be police officers. The callers are using an 01926 number that used to belong to the force. It does not belong to them anymore, so the number on your screen proves nothing.
The tactic is called spoofing. The caller makes a different number show up on your phone, so the call looks like it comes from a trusted place. Police first warned about the calls on Friday, October 23. On Saturday, October 24, they said they had received further reports of scam calls. The person behind them has not been identified.
In its post, the force said there is no guarantee at all that the caller is who they say they are.
The calls have been made across Warwickshire. Police asked people to talk with vulnerable friends and family, since someone who says they are police can sound convincing and may be trusted too quickly. If you get a call like this and have any doubt, hang up. A real officer or staff member will not mind.
The steps in the alert box above cover what to do, including how to check and where to report.
The police statements do not say what the callers ask for, how many people have been called or how many have lost money. They also do not say when the calls will stop. Police have asked people to keep following the advice and to share it with family and friends.
A number on your screen proves nothing, so hang up on any caller claiming to be police and check by calling 101 yourself.
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