SCAM ALERT: National Insurance Scam
South Yorkshire Police’s fraud co-ordination team has issued a warning to local residents about a national insurance scam.
In recent weeks, a number of incidents have been reported from members of the public notifying us that they have been contacted by a someone who claims to be from either South Yorkshire Police or an official government agency, advising them that their national insurance number has been compromised and used in relation to illegal activities. The caller then advises that a ‘police officer’ will further contact them to discuss the matter.
In the incidents reported so far, the ‘police officer’, who claims to be from Snig Hill police station or the police in general, has called the victim a short time later and asked for their bank details and information on the balance available in their accounts. The ‘police officer’ does appear to know certain details about the victims they are calling, such as old addresses. The victims are then told that they must withdraw the cash from their account, put it in a crypto currency machine, or that a government backed account will be set up for them to transfer their funds into.
PC Angela Senior from the force’s fraud co-ordination team, said: “These calls are not genuine. Please be vigilant and remember that no matter how sincere or official the caller seems, our police officers or official government agencies will never ask you to reveal your bank details or personal information on a call like this.
“We know that thankfully, many people will treat calls like this with suspicion – but it’s still vitally important that everyone spreads the word about scams like this, and makes sure their loved ones know how to spot the signs and keep themselves safe.
“Elderly and vulnerable relatives and neighbours could be particularly susceptible to falling victim to these types of scams, so please pass this information along to them.”
If you receive a call claiming to be from a ‘police officer’ and you are unsure if it is genuine, hang up the phone and call us on 101 from a different phone to double check.
If you think you have been a victim of this scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or go online to action fraud.police.uk.
You can also tell HMRC about the suspected scam by emailing [email protected], including the date of the call, the phone number used and the content of the call.
STAY SAFE
? Be wary of telephone calls you receive from an official-sounding organisation out of the blue. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
? If in doubt, hang up, wait for 30 minutes, and then contact the organisation – ideally from a different phone – on a trusted number to check the call is genuine.
??? Remember genuine representatives from organisations such as the government and the police will never object to you making checks to verify they are who they say they are, and they will never ask for your bank details.
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SCAM ALERT: National Insurance Scam
