Warning over scam phone callers posing as Surrey Police
A warning has been issued after scammers called members of the public posing as Surrey Police.
A Surrey Police spokesperson said: “We are aware of members of the public receiving calls from a number claiming to be our 101 number.
“The scammers are then advising members of the public to Google the 01483 571212 number to confirm that this number belongs to Surrey Police, which it does.
“Criminals use ‘spoofing’ software to intentionally cover up their real caller ID and instead, mirror the phone number of a legitimate organisation. They do this to make it appear that calls or text messages are coming from a trusted organisation like the police, banks or government agencies.
“These scam calls may be automated, or from a real person. Their main goal is to trick you into sharing personal information or to transfer money.
“A police officer will never call out of the blue asking for personal information, including bank account details.
“A police officer will never ask you to withdraw money or purchase high value items as part of an investigation.
“If you receive a call from someone claiming to be a police officer, take their details and message us, call 101, or use the online chat function on our website to confirm their identity.
“You can also use our website to report crime, ask for an update on your investigation, report road traffic collisions, and submit information requests.
“In an emergency, always call 999.”