Police warning about phone calls and scams

Chief Inspector John Allen said: “In one recently reported incident a woman was contacted by a caller claiming to represent a government agency. The caller informed the woman that she owed money and that she could repay this by purchasing a certain value of online/iTunes vouchers.

“Unfortunately on this occasion, the woman paid a substantial amount of money to the scammer before realising she had fallen victim to fraud.

“Scammers and fraudsters are imaginative and inventive and the schemes they use are varied and multiple but the aim remains the same - to take money from unsuspecting members of the public. We all need to be vigilant and wary of any contact from an unsolicited source.

“If you have received any kind of contact that is giving you cause for concern, then please report it to police on the non-emergency telephone number 101.”