Warning over unexpected callers

The reminder follows a number of incidents where some people have been scammed by callers purporting to be from a loan company.

In some instances people have applied for loans, been refused but subsequently received a call from someone offering them a loan. In order to process the loan they are requested to make a payment for admin fees in the form of UKash vouchers. Some people have made these payments without realising they are dealing with a bogus caller.

In another incident a vulnerable person received a telephone call from someone claiming to be from Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). The caller insisted the person may be owed some money from a time when he had a loan. This was false information but the caller insisted they could help process a claim and would require a payment of £200. They asked for this to be paid by UKash Vouchers. Fortunately, in this incident, the resident was able to establish this was a bogus call.

Detective Chief Inspector, Mark McClarence said: “These are scams targeting the vulnerable members of our community. I appeal to local people to be vigilant and protect themselves against unscrupulous criminals who are constantly identifying and developing new methods to defraud innocent people.

Do not send UKASH codes to anyone calling you and claiming to be able to release money owed to you or offering you a loan. You may be asked to send a fee in the form of a UKASH voucher code by email, or over the telephone. This is a fraud and you will lose your money.”

Anyone who has information on these type of scams should report it.