Bogus detective warning to bank customers

20 February 2013

Police are warning people in Sussex to beware of a man who is targeting elderly people by claiming to be investigating fraud on their bank accounts and trying to get them to transfer their money.

The man, who suggests that he is a detective sergeant from the Metropolitan Police or Greater Manchester Police, is known to have called nine people in Bognor Regis in the last week and one in Worthing on Monday (February 18).

PC Sarah Lallament, who is investigating the reports, said: "This man is targeting vulnerable elderly people by calling them and abusing the trust they place in the police. He tells them that their acccounts have been subject to fraud and then attempts to get them to transfer their money to another account, no doubt to steal it. Sometimes he claims that he has arrested a man and found that he has their bank details on a laptop computer.

"We are liaising with the banks and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and we need to know just how widespread this man's activities are. If you have had one of these calls in the last week or so, please let us know by calling 101 and quoting serial number 642 of 15/02.

"Neither the police or banks would try to get you to transfer money by phone. If you have any doubts about a caller, ask for their name and then call them back through the main switchboard number for the bank, which you'll find on statements of other correspondence, or 101 for the police."

For more details on protecting youself against bank account fraud, visit http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/fraud-az-bank-account-fraud