A new alert from 
about fraudulent practices threatening innocent people.
Phone Fraud Scam – Advice
Hello,West Midlands Police are being told of a telephone scam targeting the elderly and vulnerable in our communities. If you are elderly or know someone who is elderly or vulnerable, please ensure you and they know how to spot this type of fraud. The most recent calls are claiming to be from HMICS (tax / benefits office) asking for bank details. At no point must anyone give bank details over the phone to cold callers. Other scams are when the victim receives a call on their mobile or landline by someone who claims to be from their bank or the police. They say they are investigating fraudulent activity on their card or bank account and need further information. They’re very convincing and trick victims into divulging bank details over the phone. Sometimes they will ask the victim to read out their pin, or type it into the keypad. How to protect yourself Your bank, HMICS or the police will never call you to ask you to verify your personal details or PIN by phone or offer to pick up your card by courier. Hang up if you get a call like this. If you need to call your bank back to check, wait five minutes; fraudsters may stay on the line after you hang up. Alternatively, use a different line altogether to call your bank. Your debit or credit card is yours – don’t let a stranger take it off you. You should only ever have to hand it over at your bank. If it’s cancelled, you should destroy it yourself. If something like this happens to you, or someone you know report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. If you’re tricked into revealing your account details over the phone, call your bank to block your account and cancel your card straight away. Kind Regards The Partnerships Team |
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www.BrumCityCentre.com 
Geoff, I always appreciate reading alerts like this as they remind you of things you should already know. We have been the victims of Identity Theft and are still dealing with the after effects so if you see any information on this kind of thing, it would be useful if you were to post it.