Conmen posing as police and bank officials are scamming vulnerable Manchester residents out of thousands of pounds by duping them into handing over bank details.
The tricksters have targeted areas in Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside and South Manchester with police urging neighbours of elderly relatives and friends to be aware that legitimate banks would not ask for PIN numbers or account numbers over the phone.
Fraud costs the UK economy £73billion each year with officers monitoring criminal activity to prevent unsuspecting residents handing over large sums of cash.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Jackson said: “I want to reassure the public that our resources are focused on those fraudsters in the community who are causing the most harm, and we regularly run investigations that result in significant sentences for offenders, as well as the recovery of criminally obtained funds.
“If you are called by someone claiming to be a police officer and have concerns, take their details, including name and collar number, and call police on 101 to verify their identity.”
Here’s a list of 70+ common scams and how to avoid them.
To report any suspicious calls or occurrences for financially motivated crimes, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or online here.
For more on this story and many others, follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.
