People across the UK have been warned to remain vigilant after a rise in scam calls from criminals pretending to be from the police.
Victims are told that fraudulent activity has been detected in their bank account and that they must urgently transfer money from the account to protect it.
Often scammers will claim that a new account has been set up for the victim’s funds and encourage them to funnel money towards it.
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “If you get a call like this, hang up immediately and do not provide any personal or bank details.
“Neither the police, your bank, nor any fraud department will ever ask for your PIN, request you to transfer funds, or ask you to withdraw cash.
“If you receive such a request, it’s a scam.”
The person on the phone claims that someone has been arrested for the theft of the victim’s bank card.
They are then asked to provide their details to confirm that it was their card that was stolen.
After the scammer receives the details, they’ll use them to withdraw money from the victims’ accounts.
Police officers will never call people out of the blue and request cash, and if officers ever contact you in person they will show you their warrant card first.
Before contacting your bank to report the scam, wait at least five minutes to ensure the line is clear.
You can also clear the line by calling a friend or family member or by using a different phone than the one on which you were contacted.
However, if you accidentally shared your bank details or handed over your card to a courier, call your bank immediately.
You can reach your bank’s fraud department directly by dialing 159.
Have you lost money to a scam? Contact National Fraud Helpline. Call 0333 0033218 or fill out our Claim Form.