Northamptonshire Police warn residents over rise in scam calls from fraudsters posing as police officers
People across Northamptonshire are being warned about a rise in scam phone calls from criminals impersonating police officers using fake telephone numbers.
Northamptonshire Police has shared a warning from Report Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting service, following an increase in reports of fraudsters pretending to represent police forces across the country.
Criminals are using technology known as ‘spoofing’ to disguise their real telephone numbers and make calls appear to originate from legitimate organisations, including the police.
The callers often claim victims can assist with investigations by providing sensitive personal or financial information.
Some calls may also involve artificial intelligence or automated messages.
Chief Superintendent Amanda Wolf, head of Report Fraud Operations, said: “Fraudsters are constantly adapting their tactics and will exploit the trust people place in organisations such as the police, banks and other public services.
“The reports coming into Report Fraud are unlikely to reflect the full scale of the issue.”
Residents are being urged to end suspicious calls and independently verify the caller’s identity using official contact details.
Police stressed that genuine organisations would never telephone people asking them to transfer money, disclose sensitive financial information or surrender remote access to their computers.
Anyone receiving a suspicious call can report it by texting 7726 with the word ‘Call’ followed by the caller’s number.
Victims who have lost money or been hacked should contact Report Fraud at www.reportfraud.police.uk or telephone 0300 123 2040.
Residents can also contact police on 101 to verify suspicious calls.