Advice issued following reports of police officer bank scam in Winchester and Fair Oak

We have had a number of reports recently in which fraudsters posing as police officers have cold-called victims.

On Monday 21 October, a 77-year-old man from Winchester received a call from a man who claimed to work for Met Police.

The caller said he was investigating the victim’s bank for counterfeit currency, and said he needed the victim to withdraw money.

The victim did so and gave £4,100 to a man who later called at his address.

This man was described as black, of slim build, around 5ft 11ins tall and aged in his 20s or 30s.

The victim was called again, and asked to withdraw a further £2,000, but he became suspicious and called the police.

On Wednesday 23 October, we received similar reports of incidents – another in Winchester and one in Fair Oak.

On those occasions, the victims were called by someone claiming to be a DC Simmonds from Hammersmith police station.

Advice

This is a common scam in which often older or more vulnerable people are targeted.

We would like to remind people that officers, banks or any other authority figure will never call in this way.

If you do get a call from someone who claims you need to withdraw money from a bank, hang up and report it using a different phone if possible. It will be a scam.

Make a note of the date and time of the call, and the number, if available – this information could help any future investigation.

Never reveal your bank details or give personal information to people who cold call.

If you know somebody who could be taken in by such a scam, please take the time to speak to them and give them our advice.

You can make yourself aware of this type of scam and how to protect yourself against them by visiting the Action Fraud website: www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

If you or someone you know falls victim to this type of offence, please report it immediately to police on 101, or 999 if a crime is in progress.