Police appeal following telephone fraud

Police are reminding the public to be vigilant about telephone scams and to follow some simple advice to prevent them from becoming a victim of this type of crime.

This follows an incident in Winkleigh recently where the victim was contacted by a person claiming to be from the bank in an attempt to gain personal information and to relieve the victim of his bank card.

Detective Constable David Major said: “The person on the phone claiming to be from the bank was very convincing, they explained to the victim that they needed a new bank card and over the course of a few conversations, managed to get the victim to confirm details relating to their address and pin number.

“A little while later a woman arrived at his home in Winkleigh and obtained his bank card. Thankfully, the victim contacted the bank almost who immediately blocked the victim’s bank card before any money was accessed.

“We are appealing for witnesses and would like to speak to anyone who witnesses a woman wearing a fluorescent yellow coat in or around the Townsend Hill area of Winkleigh between 1-3pm on Saturday 25th April.”

If you have any information that could help, please contact Bideford CID on 101 or 101@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk
quoting police crime reference CR/029020/15.

DC Major added: “The police take these types of crimes extremely seriously and we are determined to prevent further members of the public becoming further victims of this type of crime. We urge you to talk to your friends and family and ensure they are aware of the scam.

“If you receive a call from suspicious persons, then report the incident to
police by calling 101. Remember to wait at least 5 minutes after the incident
or call from a different phone, or the call may still be connected to the same
person.

“The police and the banks will NEVER ask you for banking details or PIN numbers on the phone. Similarly, they would never send a ‘courier’ to collect bank cards or money or ask you to transfer money to a bank account of someone you do not know.”