BE AWARE: COURIER FRAUD TARGETTING KENT

Source: Kent Police/My Community Voice

We have been receiving reports from Kent residents receiving calls from a criminal impersonating a police officer.

What these criminals do:

The criminal may be able to confirm some basic details about you such as your full name and address. They may then claim:

· Your bank account has been compromised

· Someone is in custody who say they are related to you or with a copy of your bank card

· They need your help with a police investigation

They will then instruct you to:

· Withdraw large sums of cash

· Buy gift cards, foreign currency, or high-value goods such as gold, jewellery and watches.

· Hand over your bank card

They may say an undercover officer will collect the items from your home.

They might even tell you to lie to bank staff about what the money is for, claiming they’re “in on it."

THIS IS A SCAM!

The Police will NEVER :

· Ask for your bank details

· Tell you to withdraw cash or buy foreign currency or high value goods

· Ask you to lie to anyone

Protect Yourself – Remember the A B C of Fraud:

Never ASSUME – Never assume a caller is genuine. Criminals may know basic information about you.

Never BELIEVE – Never believe a caller is genuine – scammers can ‘spoof’ official telephone numbers, so the call display may show as an official number such as the police or banks telephone number, but it does not mean it is a genuine call.

Always CONFIRM – always confirm if the call is genuine – Ask the caller for their name and badge number. Tell the caller you will hang up and call back to confirm.

To ensure the criminals are still not on the line, use an alternative phone and call police on 101 and ask if it was a genuine call.

If you do not have another phone to hand, call a trusted friend or family member first, to ensure the line is cleared, or you can unplug the landline, wait for 10 minutes and then call police to confirm.

If a courier arrives at your property ring 999.

If this has happened to you please contact your bank immediately by calling 159 and report it to Kent Police on 101.