PSNI warning: Cunning scammers busy across Northern Ireland

Police have urged the public never to divulge their personal banking details over the phone or online after a number of fraud offences in Northern Ireland.
PSNIPSNI
PSNI

Scammers are using various methods to trick the unwary out of their money, with one woman in Ballymena contacted to say her Amazon account had been hacked, and another from Dungiven approached by a bogus pension company.

Police have also been contacted this week by a business owner in Ballymena who lost £5,000 worth of goods in a fraudulent transaction.

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The PSNI has said the woman from Dungiven had received a letter last month from a company offering to purchase her pension.

She was instructed to send off her birth certificate, passport and bank account details to an address in England. When she contacted the genuine company with the same name – after looking up the contact number online – they confirmed that this reference and offer did not exist.

A number of attempts were then made to withdraw money from an account belonging to the victim.

Sergeant Jonathan Fawcett said: “No matter what type of scam it is and the different methods employed, a common element shared by scammers is they will go to great lengths to trick people and take advantage of their vulnerability and good faith.

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“Our message is simple – never disclose your personal or banking details to anyone over the phone or online, no matter how convincing they may seem, and never allow an unauthorised person to have access to such details via your computer.”

Sgt Fawcett added: “We would always urge people to contact the company the person are proclaiming to be from directly, via an independently sourced phone number before speaking to them any further.

“In a number of cases reported to us, the caller claimed to represent a genuine company which does exist. A simple Google search confirming the existence of the company is not enough.

“If you have received a call of this kind, or if you’re concerned by any unsolicited emails, calls or letters; then please report it to Action Fraud via their website www.actionfraud.police.uk or by phoning 0300 123 2040, or call police on the non-emergency number 101.”

Further advice and information can also be obtained by visiting www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwise of the ScamwiseNI Facebook page @scamwiseni