Warning following attempted telephone fraud - Sevenoaks

Investigators are reminding Sevenoaks residents to take care after a conman posing as a police officer called a pensioner to persuade them to hand over cash from their account.

On Thursday 21 October 2021, a woman in her 80s was called by somebody who falsely said they worked for the Metropolitan Police.

The victim was told she should withdraw a quantity of cash in connection with a fraud investigation and that it would be collected by an officer so that checks could be completed.

District Commander for Sevenoaks, Chief Inspector Mark Stubberfield said: ‘Fortunately in this case, a relative was alerted to the phone call from the fraudster and contacted the police before money could be passed to anybody.
‘Residents should be immediately suspicious of any callers who make contact by phone and say they are investigators and require them to transfer or withdraw money from their account.
‘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.’

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.

Can you help?

Anybody with information regarding this incident is urged to call Kent Police on 01622 604100, quoting reference 21-1209.

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

The matter can also be reported to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111 or by using the online form.