Warning to residents following reports of fraudulent phone calls

Gloucestershire Constabulary is warning residents to be alert following reports of fraudulent phone calls over recent days.

Police have been contacted by a number of residents in the county who have received calls where an automated voice tells them they owe tax, are going to be arrested or that their Amazon Prime subscription is about to renew.

The voice instructs recipients to press 1 to speak to a member of staff but these calls are fraudulent and we would like to warn residents of this.

If 1 is pressed, victims are transferred directly to a fraudster who will then try to convince, coerce and scare them into transferring funds, buying gift vouchers or sharing personal or financial information.

Offenders will often spoof their telephone numbers to appear genuine, or make it look like they are calling from a local phone number.

If you are concerned about the content of the message, please contact the company or organisation the call is claiming to be from via a trusted means.

Thankfully most recipients know this is a scam, however we are concerned that some older residents may be vulnerable to this type of fraud so please share this warning with them.

Anyone who believes that they have been the victim of a fraudulent phone call can report this by calling police on 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is free and can help reduce the number of nuisance and scam calls you receive. To register, please visit: https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/register