Maidstone residents warned about telephone fraudsters

Concerns have been raised after a conman posing as a police officer tried get a Maidstone resident to transfer cash from their account.

On Wednesday 13 January 2021, a man living in the Upper Stone Street area was called by somebody who said they were an officer investigating a fraud.

The man was advised to transfer money from his account to keep it safe whilst an investigation was launched. The victim became suspicious and concluded the call before contacting Kent Police.

Inspector Stephen Kent from the Maidstone Community Safety Unit said: ‘This resident acted correctly by declining to give the caller any bank details and then contacting us when they became suspicious.
‘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. 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. If you receive one of these calls end it immediately and wait at least five minutes before using your telephone in order to clear your line from the scammer.’

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.

Can you help?

Anybody with information regarding this incident is urged to call Kent Police on 01622 604100, quoting reference 13-0550.

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.