Devon and Cornwall Police are highlighting the scam using a spoofed number.
A spoofed phone number is when a caller deliberately disguises their real phone number so that a different number appears on your phone. This means a call may look like it is coming from a trusted organisation, local business, or even someone you know, when it is actually coming from a scammer.
How Do Scammers Use Spoofed Numbers?
Scammers use spoofed numbers to make their calls appear genuine and to encourage people to answer the phone and trust them.
They may pretend to be from:
- Your bank
- Your credit card company
- The police
- HMRC
- Report Fraud
- A delivery company
- A utility provider
- Technical support services
They often claim there is an urgent problem and may try to persuade you to:
- Share personal information
- Reveal passwords or security codes
- Make a payment
- Transfer money
How Can You Protect Yourself?
- Do not trust a caller simply because the number looks genuine.
- Be cautious of unexpected calls asking for money, personal or sensitive information.
- Never share passwords, PINs, two-step verification codes, personal information or financial details over the phone.
- If in doubt, hang up and ideally using another phone, contact the organisation directly using a trusted phone number, verified via the organisation’s official website, or obtained from genuine correspondence you may have from them in your possession.
Remember
The phone number displayed on your screen may not be the caller’s real number. A scammer will do all they can to try and keep you on the line. They will want you to panic and act quickly. REMAIN CALM. If something doesn’t feel right, immediately hang up, and then seek advice from trusted family members, friends and neighbours.
What to do if you are a victim of Fraud or Cybercrime
Report it immediately: Visit – UK’s Home for Reporting Cyber Crime & Fraud – Report Fraud or call 0300 123 2040
If you have shared financial details, or lost money also contact your bank’s fraud team by calling 159
