Calls for vigilance following police officer impersonation scam

Officers from Cheshire Constabulary are advising residents to remain vigilant following a recent incident of officer impersonation.

On Wednesday 12th August, officers were contacted by a 28-year-old man who told them he believed he had been a victim of fraud.

The victim went on to say that he had received a phone call from a number that appeared to match one used by officers from Chester Local Policing Unit.

The caller, who introduced themselves as an officer from the Constabulary, told the victim their card had been fraudulently used and provided the victim with a fake crime record number.

The suspect then persuaded the victim to purchase £1000 worth of Tesco gift cards and to then requested they provide the ‘officer’ with their details and redemption numbers as part of the police investigation.

Following this incident, the force’s Economic Crime Unit is reminding the public that genuine officers from Cheshire Constabulary will never call and ask for money or bank details and to remain vigilant if they contacted by anyone claiming to be a serving Police Officer.

DI Williams of the Economic Crime Unit said:

“Scammers have a number of sophisticated tools at their disposal that can make their calls seem genuine to victims, leading them to believe that they are engaging with a reputable and trustworthy organisation.

“But with this in mind, there are steps you can take and signs to look out for to deter scammers from getting hold of your money.

“Firstly, bear in mind that genuine police officers will never contact you and ask you to provide them with any bank details, redeem gift cards or put money aside to be collected by a courier later.

“We would also advise you to remain calm during situations like this. Scammers put a lot of pressure on victims, creating a sense of urgency that actions need to be completed as soon as possible – this is yet another sign that who you are talking to is not genuine.

“Finally, if you have any concerns regarding that who you are speaking to is not a genuine police officer, hang up, call 101 and ask the operator to verify their identity and any details they may have provided you with.”