Merseyside Police has urged the public to remain vigilant after reports of scammers impersonating police officers in an attempt to get people to hand over money. The force received several reports on Monday evening (November 2) from members of the public who had received suspicious calls appearing to come from its genuine switchboard number, 0151 709 6010.
Police believe the offenders may have been using caller ID spoofing technology to make the calls appear legitimate. Those responsible reportedly claimed to be officers or Cyber Crime officers from Merseyside Police in an attempt to gain the trust of victims and persuade them to make payments.
Investigation underway
An investigation is now underway to identify those responsible, police said. Merseyside Police is urging anyone who receives a similar call to report it to the force to help officers investigate and take further action.
Members of the public are reminded that scammers can manipulate caller ID information, meaning a call displaying a genuine police phone number does not necessarily mean it is coming from the force.
Police advice to the public
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Nuttall said: “Impersonating a police officer is a criminal offence and it's something we take extremely seriously.”
“We will not hesitate to investigate any reports whether on people’s doorsteps, on the phone or online so that we can take action and bring offenders to justice.”
“Shamefully, offenders like this often deliberately target the most vulnerable in our community. I would ask people to take a few minutes to speak to friends or relatives who may be vulnerable to such a scam so they are aware of the risks and have the right advice and guidance.”
“There are a number of steps you and they can take to try to prevent this from happening: You can always ask a police officer for identification. All our officers have a collar number and a warrant card - if in any doubt, you can always check the name, collar number and crime reference numbers provided are genuine by calling 101.”
“Remember, a police officer should never ask you to disclose your PIN number or card details, either in person, on the phone or online.”
“If you suspect someone is impersonating a police officer please contact police.”
Anyone with information which could assist the investigation is asked to DM @MerPolCC quoting reference number 781 of 2 November. Further fraud crime prevention advice is available on the Merseyside Police website or on the Report Fraud site at www.reportfraud.police.uk.
