Five Males Arrested after Allegedly Purporting to be Police Officers in Attempt to Scam Victims
Five males have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation following an investigation by Cleveland Police and the North East Regional Specialist Operations Unit (NERSOU).
The males, aged between 22 and 44, have been arrested in the London area after allegedly purporting to be police officers over the phone and attempting to entice victims to withdraw large sums of cash as they were “under threat.”
Over 60 people were reportedly contacted by the males in November 2020, with 12 people almost falling victim to the scam. A majority of the reported victims were in Cleveland, with some in North Yorkshire.
One victim withdrew ÂŁ4,000 from her bank to give to the males, however, did not hand any of the money over.
Speaking of the arrests, Detective Inspector Jim Forster from Cleveland’s Economic Crime Unit and Cyber Crime Team said: “The arrests are a great example of NERSOU and Cleveland officers working together to tackle individuals suspected of targeting people for money.
“Thankfully, no money was handed over in November last year but this is often not the case. It is easy to fall victim to potential scams over the phone, and particularly if people are reportedly impersonating to be a police officer.
“We want to take this opportunity to make it clear that officers or banks would never ask you to withdraw or transfer cash or give money to a courier to pick up.
“If you receive an unexpected call where someone asks for your bank details or asks you to withdraw cash, then put the phone down. Tell a trusted family member or friend and report the incident to police.
“Impersonating a police officer is a crime and so is attempting to scam people out of money and I would like to thank the officers involved in this investigation for their hard work so far.”
Cleveland Police continues to work with police forces and financial institutions nationally, as well as the National Crime Agency and NERSOU.
If you have a crime to report please contact Cleveland Police on 101 or independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.