Be wary of internet scams: Police

Con Sonya McMullan said: “Police would always advise people to be vigilant against fraudsters using telephone and computer scams to divert money from bank accounts.

“Scams can come in many guises, but mostly the caller exploits a lack of knowledge by the customers of banks and other financial institutions. The themes can vary, but they are generally aimed at getting people to disclose personal financial details such as PIN codes.

“In many cases the callers say they are from certain banks or other financial institutions. A typical ploy is to claim that a suspicious transaction had been identified in a person’s bank account and that often leads on to persuading the individual to transfer money from a genuine account into an another account, which, of course, the fraudster controls.

“If you get a call or email, do not give out financial details or agree to any transaction, and do not respond on email addresses or phone numbers provided by the caller.

“You can always check the legitimacy of any approach by contacting the named bank on a number you know to be genuine.

“It has been known for fraudsters to keep the telephone line open after their conversation so that when you make a call, you are talking to them again. Avoid this by first of all making a call to a family member or friend so that you can be sure the line is clear.

“Many banks also offer 24-hour customer services telephone support. You should take the number from official bank statements.”