Kent Police is reminding people to be alert to scammers following an attempted fraud in Broadstairs.
It was reported that yesterday (December 21) a resident in Broadstairs received a call from a man claiming to be an officer from Norwich investigating money laundering. The victim was asked to go to their bank to withdraw £8,000 as the officer claimed they needed to check the notes were real.
The fraudster also arranged for a taxi to collect the money but the suspect left empty-handed after the bank intervened and declined the cash withdrawal.
Officers are making enquiries into the incident.
District Commander for Thanet, Chief Inspector Ian Swallow said: “Officers will never ask a person for money or for their bank details. It may sound convincing as they could know your name, address, or name a local taxi firm during the conversation, but if you receive one of these calls, end it immediately and wait at least ten minutes before using your telephone to ensure the scammer has cleared the line.
“Unfortunately those who are targeted are often the most vulnerable, such as elderly people or victims with learning difficulties. It is important people know how to spot the signs of a fraudulent phone call so their finances are not put at risk and I would encourage friends, neighbours and family members to help us protect those who may be particularly at risk from these types of scams.”
Second scammer incident
A Thanet businessman, who asked not to be named, says he was also targeted by fraudsters last night.
He said: “ I had a very “real” phone call from someone pretending to be a county court enforcement officer stating that enforcement agents would be attending my property within the hour and issuing a CCJ.
“This person had my personal details including, addresses, full name and date of birth. This was an old address where I may not have received communication/ letters. If you receive letters for anyone at your address please do try to pass them on. Fortunately my old business address the new tenants do so but at my old home address they did not and binned them in the past, this can cause a lot of people problems.
“The supposed debt was also from a company I have used for business advertising in the past. This company is closed until the new year but fortunately I had mobile numbers for some of their employees. Local Thanet and Kent business are being targeted by this person.
“I was requested to go through a stay of execution whereby he would give me the bank account details of the intermediary as the courts where closed at that time after 5pm.
“This is where I clocked it and wouldn’t make a payment over the phone. The scammers phone number was already reported on a website called www.whocalledme.co.uk and was 07584771779 so block this number if it calls you.
“I urge anyone who gets a call like this to hang up and make their own lines of enquiry. You must also report it to action fraud on 03001232040.”
Report it
To report a fraud you can contact Kent Police online or by calling 999 in an emergency. You can also contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111. You can also visit their websites.
