Nantwich families and neighbours of elderly residents are being warned of a phone scam involving fraudsters posing as internet providers.
A man has contacted several victims in Crewe, Chester, Warrington and Runcorn to tell them their modem was not compatible with their computer and the customer was owed £200.
The fraudster then informs victims a bigger sum had been transferred by mistake, which they needed to repay.
At least two of the victims have paid a substantial amount of money back to the fraudster – with possibly many more unknown to police.
Peter Lawless, of Cheshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “I want to remind residents to be vigilant when receiving calls from people who claim they are from an internet provider and to bear in mind the following advice.
“Don′t be afraid to put the phone down on someone if you are unsure about handing over details.
“Banks never call and ask for your four-digit card pin or ask you to withdraw money to hand over to them or transfer money to another account.
“Never assume a caller is genuine just because they hold some information about you.
“Criminals may already have some basic information, such as a name, address and account details to try to make the call appear legitimate.
“Always be wary of cold callers who suggest you hang up the phone and call them back.”
“Remember that it takes two people to terminate a call so try and use a different phone line if you are asked to ring back.
“If you think you′ve already been a victim of this scam, contact your bank or card company immediately.”
Anyone who receives any of these calls and is a victim of this scam should contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 and Cheshire Police on 101.
(pic by Alan Levine, creative commons licence)
Recent Comments