A devious scam artist claiming to be from an internet provider has been targeting homes in Chester.
Cheshire Police are urging the public to be on their guard over the phone to avoid being caught out.
This includes being wary about giving details and not being afraid to hang up.
A victim from Chester fell foul of the scam and paid a ‘substantial’ amount of money to the trickster.
They were called at just after 8pm on July 28. The scammer told them there was a fault with their modem and they were owed £200 by the company.
He then requested they logged on to their bank account to transfer the money. But the hustler then said too much had been transferred by mistake, which the ‘customer’ had to repay.
Both the victim from Chester and a person from Crewe were tricked into paying money.
Five reports of the scam have come into Cheshire Police between July 11-28, but more homes could have been dialled.
Victims in Runcorn and Warrington also received calls from the con artist.
Peter Lawless, of Cheshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “I want to remind residents to be vigilant when receiving calls from people who claim they are from an internet provider and to bear in mind the following advice.”
Cheshire Police tips:
• Don′t be afraid to put the phone down on someone if you are unsure about handing over details.
• Banks never call and ask for your four-digit card Pin or ask you to withdraw money to hand over to them or transfer money to another account.
• Never assume a caller is genuine just because they hold some information about you. Criminals may already have some basic information, such as a name, address and account details to try to make the call appear legitimate.
• Always be wary of cold callers who suggest you hang up the phone and call them back.
• If in doubt ask for the officer′s name, collar number and station and then hang up. Using a different phone, as the caller may still be linked to yours, call 101 to check the identity of the officer.
• Alternatively, if you do not have a second phone then you could try phoning a relative or friend, that way you know that the offender is not still on the line.
• Remember that it takes two people to terminate a call so try and use a different phone line if you are asked to ring back. If you think you′ve already been a victim of this scam, contact your bank or card company immediately.
Anyone who is a victim of this scam should contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 and Police on 101.
