Telephone fraud warning - west Kent

Investigators are reminding west Kent residents to take care after a conman posing as a police officer stole a pensioner’s cash.

On Thursday 28 July 2022, the victim from the Tunbridge Wells area was called by somebody who falsely said they worked for the Metropolitan Police.

The scammer said their bank cards had been used in a fraud and, to assist the investigation, were instructed to withdraw some cash and then leave it in a specific location. 

Cash stolen

The victim followed the directions and the cash was later stolen.

Inspector Mark Stubberfield, of the Tunbridge Wells Community Safety Unit, said: ‘Residents should be immediately suspicious of any callers who make contact by phone and say they work for the police and require them to hand over their bank cards or money.
‘Often, these conmen will try and alarm you by saying there has been fraudulent activity on your bank account, or they have arrested someone using a cloned card in your name. Their purpose is to win your trust by sounding very plausible, and then convincing you they are helping to keep your cash safe.
‘A police force will never ask a member of the public for their bank details or money over the phone and if you receive one of these calls end it immediately.’

Further advice

Never hand over any money, or other items, to a courier after receiving this type of call.

If you are not confident a person claiming to be a police officer is genuine, ask to take their details and then end the call.

Wait for at least five minutes for the call to clear and then contact 101, or 999 in an emergency. A call handler will be able to verify whether your caller was genuine.

Appeal 

Anybody with information regarding this incident is urged to call Kent Police on 01622 604100, quoting reference 46/146508/22. The matter can also be reported to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111 or by using the online form on their website.

You can also contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or report suspicious activity online by visiting their website.