Fraud warning issued to Orkney islanders

Police in Orkney are warning residents and businesses against online and telephone fraud after £350,000 was scammed from islanders this year alone.

The islands have a population of just over 21,000 are considered one of the safest places in the country.

But officers are urging islanders to watch out for the warning signs to protect themselves and others against fraud after around £350,000 was conned from residents since New Year’s Day.

Preventions and interventions officer for Orkney Constable Simon Hay said: “The unscrupulous individuals who commit crimes like this are well practiced and can be very convincing.

“These people can appear very convincing”

“It is a well-known tactic for scammers to pretend to be representing a reputable organisation such as your bank, the HMRC or others.

“While these people can appear very convincing, these organisations would never cold call and you should never agree to any financial transaction or give out personal financial details over the phone or email.

“That could be directly over the phone or by another means, such as buying a high value quantity of iTunes vouchers and then giving the unique code to the caller.

“Always double check numbers you are given to call back and ideally only return a call on a number you’ve sourced yourself on a different phone line.

“Better yet, if it is an option then attend in person at a local branch rather than providing any details over a computer or phone.”