Reminder following continued reports of fraudsters posing as Gloucestershire police officers

Police are asking the public to remain vigilant following continued reports that fraudsters are posing as Gloucestershire Constabulary officers.

Over the weekend an elderly woman was scammed out of over £20,000 after being called by scammers posing as officers from the fraud department.

Last month police informed the public about the scam after the Force Control Room was contacted by various forces across the country who reported that fraudsters were posing as police officers from Gloucestershire Constabulary.

The fraudsters are using spoofed phone numbers so that when the numbers are searched online, they appear as being either Hester's Way Police Station in Cheltenham or Bearlands Police Station in Gloucester.

On each occasion the fraudster provided a bogus collar number and said the person needed to provide their passport number as a person had been arrested and had stored their documentation on a laptop.

The fraudsters kept the victim on the phone for seven hours on one day and nine hours on another whilst convincing her to part with sums of money.

Fraudsters are manipulative and victims are often told to not tell their friends or family that they are "helping" with an investigation.

Officers are once again urging people to warn their elderly or vulnerable relatives and friends about this type of fraud.

• If you're unsure about whether the person you're dealing with is a genuine police officer – stop – and call 101 to check their identity
• Please note, if you've been on the phone to someone – who called you – but you have doubts about them, we recommend that you hang up and wait five minutes before you call us. There have been cases of fraudsters keeping the line open after a victim has hung up. Leaving several minutes between calls will make sure that the call has closed.
• If you don't have access to a different phone line, wait for a period of time, at least 10 minutes, and try calling a family member or friend first to make sure the scammer is no longer on the line
• Police officers will never ask you to hand over your personal details 
• Just because someone knows basic details about you like your name, address or date of birth, it doesn't mean they are genuine police employees
• Always question suspicious phone calls and report them to Report Fraud or the police.

If a police officer needs to speak to you on the phone, they'll identify themselves clearly. They will never: 

• Ask you for your bank details or PIN
• Ask you to transfer funds to another account
• Ask you to hand over cash or bank cards to a courier
• Ask you to pay a fine or a fee to them or a third party over the phone or online
• Ask you for access to your computer, passwords or log on details over the phone or online
• Ask you to register personal details in an attachment or website online
• Ask you to 'assist' in an investigation by doing any of the above
• State that you are committing a crime by not complying
• Communicate in an abusive, threatening or coercive manner

For further advice on keeping yourself safe from fraud, visit the Constabulary's website: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/

You can also find more information on Report Fraud’s website: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/