Sophisticated fraud warning issued

POLICE have issued a warning for people to be on their guard against a sophisticated fraud that involves fraudsters sending fake bank letters.

The convincing letters being sent are a replica template from banks and include their logo, address and signature from a customer service representative.

The letter tells recipients that there have been some “unusual transactions” on their personal account or that there is an outstanding payment that needs to be paid immediately and asks them to call a number highlighted in bold to confirm they are genuine.

When victims call the number, an automated welcome message is played and the caller is asked to enter their card number, account number and sort code followed by their date of birth. Victims are then instructed to enter the first and last digit of their security number.

Rebecca Spilane, a Fraud Vulnerability Officer at Leicestershire Police said: “The letters are essentially a sophisticated phishing attempt and serves as a warning to consumers to question written correspondence from their banks.

“If you are ever suspicious about correspondence from your bank you should call the customer serviced number on the back of your card.

“We are asking people to remain vigilant. Please would you pledge to #Tell2 elderly neighbours or relatives who may not have access our community alerts and pass on this advice. Help us to protect others.

“To report a fraud and cyber crime and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.”