Warning issued to East Kent residents after phone frauds

East Kent residents are reminded to be vigilant following multiple attempts to steal cash by criminals posing as police officers on the phone.

On Thursday 11 December 2025, four people living in Herne Bay, High Halden, Hythe and Thanet received phone calls from people claiming to be officers from Hammersmith Police.

Victims were falsely told their bank accounts had been compromised after a relative had been arrested.

In each case, the victims, some of whom were pensioners, immediately suspected it was a scam and terminated the call.

Crime prevention advice

Detective Constable Mark Newman said:

'I would urge Kent residents, particularly the elderly, to be wary of criminals attempting to defraud them over the phone. In recent months we have received reports of offenders impersonating police investigators, sometimes from Hammersmith police station or from fraud squads.
'Please remember, a police officer would never ask a member of the public for their bank details or money over the phone. Never hand over any money, or other items, to a courier after receiving this type of call.
'If you are not confident a person who calls you claiming to be from the police is genuine, ask to take their details and 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

Relatives of pensioners and other vulnerable people are urged to alert them to calls from unknown people and how to respond.

Anybody with information relating to these incidents is urged to call the appeals line on 01843 222289 quoting reference 11-0590.

You can also contact Report Fraud on 0300 1232040 or online by visiting their website.