Merseyside Police warn of scammers spoofing genuine switchboard number

Police are urging the public to be vigilant following reports that scammers have been calling people and purporting to be from Merseyside Police to get payments over the phone.

Earlier this evening (Monday 2 November) we received several reports that members of the public in Merseyside had received calls from our genuine switchboard number, 0151 709 6010, but that the offenders had likely used caller ID spoofing.

The offenders claimed to be officers or Cyber Crime officers from Merseyside Police.

An investigation is underway to find the people responsible and we would urge anyone who receives these calls to let us know so we can continue to take action.

Detective Chief Inspector Alan Nuttall said: “Impersonating a police officer is a criminal offence and it's something we take extremely seriously.

“We will not hesitate to investigate any reports whether on people’s doorsteps, on the phone or online so that we can take action and bring offenders to justice.

“Shamefully, offenders like this often deliberately target the most vulnerable in our community. I would ask people to take a few minutes to speak to friends or relatives who may be vulnerable to such a scam so they are aware of the risks and have the right advice and guidance.

“There are a number of steps you and they can take to try to prevent this from happening: You can always ask a police officer for identification. All our officers have a collar number and a warrant card - if in any doubt, you can always check the name, collar number and crime reference numbers provided are genuine by calling 101. 

“Remember, a police officer should never ask you to disclose your PIN number or card details, either in person, on the phone or online. 

“If you suspect someone is impersonating a police officer please contact police.”

Anyone with information which could assist the investigation is asked to DM @MerPolCC quoting reference number 781 of 2 November.

Further fraud crime prevention advice can be found on the Merseyside Police website, or on the Report Fraud site atwww.reportfraud.police.uk

You can report fraud to Merseyside Polic here:https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/fo/v2/report-fraud-bribery-corruption/