Police number scam warning
WOMAN DUPED OUT OF THOUSANDS AFTER CALLER CLONED FORCE LINE
A LEICESTER woman was duped into handing over thousands of pounds by a fraudster pretending to be a HM Revenue and Customs officer.
The victim, from the Braunstone area of the city, was told the caller was speaking from a police station in the county and that a warrant had been issued for her arrest.
She was misled into believing the person was genuine because the incoming number on the call was the “all the two’s” inquiry line of Leicestershire Police.
Officers have now issued a warning to ensure other people don’t fall foul of the same scam.
A spokeswoman for the force said: “The woman received a call from someone alleging to be from HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC). They said she owed money to them and a warrant had been issued for her arrest.
“The caller stated they were calling from a Leicestershire Police station and showed they were calling from 0116 222 2222 – the force’s switchboard number which was used previous to the national 101 number being introduced.
“The woman, unfortunately, believed the caller and handed out several thousands of pounds via bank transfers and Amazon gift cards.”
Rebecca Spilane, the force’s fraud vulnerability officer, said the criminal had somehow “managed to spoof” the switchboard number and pointed out that police would never call asking someone for money.
She said: “This is a scam that we are aware of but what is unusual and concerning is the caller managed to spoof the 222 2222 telephone number in an attempt to appear they were genuinely calling from Leicestershire Police.
“While inquiries are continuing into this incident, I wanted to make people alert to the circumstances around this specific scam and make it known that police would never call you and ask you for money.”
The fraud investigator added: “If you are concerned that the caller is not genuine and you are being tricked into disclosing information to a criminal, always put down the phone without confirming any personal information.
“If you call us on 101 and speak to one of our call handlers, they will advise you about the call you have just received and how to make a report.”
Further information about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud can be found on the Leicestershire Police website.